Guardian Of The Hunt
by I'm On Two
Summary: Annabeth chooses her career over Percy. What will happen next in a new chapter in Percy's life.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Dragging myself to my feet, I untangled the broken branches and leaves from my shredded clothes. I stretched my muscles, cursing at how sore they were. My body had no visible scratches, but as I looked around, I noticed just how far I had strayed off the path. Remembering the reason _why _I was so far from the camp, my blood boiled with anger. Groaning, I brushed myself off and stumbled towards the path. Looking around, I used my internal compass to guide me back to camp. When I finally broke out of the line of trees, stumbling into the light, I was greeted with a shrill, "WHERE _HAVE_ YOU BEEN?" **(Think Mrs. Weasley, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) **Crud, this was going to take some explaining. Hi. My name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, Savior of Olympus, and Guardian of the Hunt. I am currently 19 years old, and will remain that way for eternity. That is, unless I fall in battle. You see, by Guardian of the Hunt, I meant guardian of the immortal Huntresses and their mistress, Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt (among other things). I have been loyally serving Artemis for a couple months now, and trust me; it is _anything_ but a walk in the park, er, woods. You see, it all started after I defeated Kronos and saved Olympus three years ago… Camp Half-blood had never seemed empty before, but now it was full to bursting with campers. You could barely walk three feet without tripping over one of the god's newly claimed kids. Most of them were pretty young, so they didn't know how to fight very well. The Little Ones, as those that were 8 and under were called, were running around playing. Those 9 and up were either in monster class or training. Percy was walking to the beach to relax after a training session with the Ares cabin. They were no match for him, even all together, so the session ended quickly. Jogging down to the shore, he was happy to see that Annabeth, his girlfriend of 3 years, was waiting there for him. Running up behind her, noticing she was lost in thought, he covered her eyes with his hands, whispering into her ear. "Guess who?" he asked teasingly. She jumped, spinning around, dagger in hand. Backing up with his hands raised into the universal position for 'surrender', he laughed. "Whoa, Wise Girl, let's not make me into a Seaweed-Brain-On-A-Stick," he joked. She sheathed her dagger, her stormy grey eyes serious and focused. "Hey, what's wrong?" Percy asked with concern. She sighed. "Percy, I've been thinking-" Annabeth began. Percy chuckled. "When _aren't_ you thinking?" he teased. Then he noticed the look on her face. "Okay, okay, not the time for joking," he relented. She glared at him once more before continuing. "So, I've decided…well…this is hard to say, but…I want to go to college!" she blurted. Percy blinked, surprised, then beamed. "Well, of course, Wise Girl! You should totally go to college! I meant to keep this a surprise but I've been visiting New Rome and-" Annabeth cut him off. "No, Percy, you don't understand. I want to go to college in the mortal world. I've been accepted to Stanford on an architectural scholarship, and it's my dream. I've accepted, and I leave in a week...and I don't think that a relationship would be wise right now," Percy sat there, stunned. "You mean, you're leaving? Just like that? No warning, just 'Oh, hey, Percy, by the way, I, Annabeth Chase, your girlfriend of 3 years as of _today_, am leaving you for college!'" Percy exclaimed, anger creeping into his voice. "You've been disappearing for periods of time all year! You won't tell me where you go, or what you do! What am I supposed to think?" Annabeth screamed right back at him. Percy plowed on, "'No, I didn't think of how you would feel. No, I didn't bother asking you what _you_wanted to do with your life, or what you had planned for the two of us. No, I did not think that maybe, possibly, you could have applied to Stanford too and possibly, actually gotten in.' Because guess what, Annabeth, I did. I applied to Stanford, just to see, and I got in, just for you, as a major in marine biology. I applied just in case this happened, just in case you wanted to go.

But seeing as you don't care about me, that you obviously care about going to Stanford more then me turning down godhood to spend the rest of my life with you, then go ahead," Percy pulled a small box out of his pocket.

"I've been waiting to pull this out for weeks. You know why I've been disappearing so often? I was proving to your mother that I was worthy of your hand in marriage. I was ready to propose. I even built us a house in New Rome, close enough to the college that I could still see you every day. I was going to propose tonight, at the campfire. But I guess that's not what you want. You said Stanford was your dream? Well, you were mine. Happy anniversary. We're through." With that, Percy stormed off, furiously wiping away the droplets that splattered his cheeks.

Annabeth stood there, stunned. She had made the famous Percy Jackson, the Savior of Olympus, cry. His words hit her like bricks. He got accepted to Stanford, for her? He had built them a house? He was going to propose, tonight? She had completely forgotten about what the date was, she was too busy worrying about telling Percy about her decision to go to Stanford. Now she had ruined the happily ever after she had always dreamed of, and all for a stupid school whose classes were probably going to be too easy for her anyway.

Kneeling down on the sand, she picked up the box Percy had dropped. Opening it, she gasped, before finally letting her tears fall.

Inside the box was a small silver ring with a small diamond. The center diamond had a silver-grey hue, and had two tiny sea green diamonds on either side of it. The band had olive branches engraved around it, and on the inside of the band, Percy had engraved a message.

_To last a thousand years. I love you Wise Girl. –Seaweed Brain_

Annabeth cried as she traced the words with her fingers. After all this time, he had remembered her greatest desire, to build something that would last forever. Why couldn't she see that it wasn't building that would make her happy, but having Percy in her life? Wiping her tears, she slid the ring onto her finger before running after Percy, determined to fix what she had just ruined. As she ran along the beach, back towards camp, she had only one thought.

_What have I done?_

Percy ran through camp, not stopping to answer any of the questions thrown at him. None of them were nice, however. They were all hostile, '_Where do you think you're going?'s__, 'Hey, are those tears, Jackson?'s, _and_ 'What a wimp, like he was the Savior of Olympus's… _With taunts and teases being thrown at his back, he ran towards the cabins.

"Thalia? Thalia?" Percy called. She had been visiting for a while, and had planned to leave after the proposal. He walked inside to find a note.

_Lovebirds,_

_Sorry guys, but Artemis needed me back. I'm really sorry I can't be there for the proposal, but I promise I'll be at the wedding. Congrats guys! See you soon!_

_Your Cuz, (and future maid of__ honor [I'M NOT WEARING A DRESS! OR ANYTHING PINK!])_

_Thalia_

Sighing, Percy put down the note. It wasn't Thalia's fault, but he needed someone to talk to. But who? Grover? He was off rallying the nature spirits for a huge pollution protest or something with Juniper. Nico? No, he was with Hades in the Underworld. Rachel? She was still in school, and would be for a few more weeks. Travis and Connor? No, they were helping their dad deliver messages today. Katie? Oh, right, she was going into town with Miranda today to get some supplies. Clarisse? She'd just tell him to stop being a wimp. Chiron? No. He'd just look at Percy with sympathy and pity, and that's not what he needed. He needed to get away. That left only one person left to talk to.

He barged into his cabin and packed his bag. He needed to see his mom.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

Once Blackjack let Percy off, he flew off to find a donut shop to raid. (Percy had begun to regret letting the Stoll brothers groom him the last time he was gone.)

Percy took a deep breath outside the door to his mom's apartment before opening it to find…an empty room. No furniture was misplaced; everything was exactly as it should be. Wandering through the apartment, Percy called out to his parents.

As he passed his old room, Gabe's ex-study, Percy couldn't help but peek in. His mom had obviously cleaned the room since Percy had last been here, but most of his stuff was still out.

Pictures of him with his camp friends lined the walls and dresser. Pictures with Annabeth stared out at him. Percy couldn't take it anymore, and turned to leave, when something caught his eye. Going to investigate, Percy discovered a small silver band on his desk.

It had a small, crescent shaped diamond, and the band had little tiny diamond shards imbedded in it, making them look like little stars. Percy pocketed the ring, wondering where it had come from. Did his mom leave it there? He went to ask her.

"Mom? Paul? I'm home! I missed you guys, you wouldn't…believe…what…" Percy trailed off as he walked into their bedroom. The drawers where pulled out, clothes strewn everywhere.

The bed was torn apart, stuffing floating free. The window was broken, and Percy saw a chair on the ground under the window, surrounded by broken glass. There was a red tinge on the glass, and with a sickening feeling in his gut, Percy realized it was blood.

Searching the apartment revealed nothing about what had taken his parents and where they had gone, or if they were even alive. In his despair, Percy ran back outside with his suitcase. There was one person left who would listen to him.

Percy ran into a back alley before using his water powers to create a sheen of mist.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Chiron at Camp Half-blood," Percy requested, his voice cracking as he threw a drachma into the mist.

"Percy? What-where are you? Aren't you in your cabin? Are you alright?" Chiron asked, sounding alarmed. Percy took a shaky breath.

"My parents are gone," Percy stammered, his voice cracking on the last word. "Monsters overran the apartment, there's no trace of them. For all I know, they're d-de..." Percy trailed off. He had spotted something sticking out from under a pile of boxes. He hadn't noticed before, but this was the alleyway under his mom's apartment window.

Looking closer, Percy realized it was a hand. Gasping, he rushed over, pulling the body out from under the boxes. He drew in a shaky gasp. Lying there, his body burned and bloody, his eyes open and staring, was Paul. Looking under the boxes again, Percy then dragged out the lifeless body of his mother. Crying, he kneeled down over them.

"No…No...NO. NO! NO NO NO! This can't be happening! They can't be…dead," Percy sobbed. Chiron called to him.

"Percy, oh Percy. I'm so sorry. They were wonderful people. We will do all we can to find the monster that did this, but there's nothing for us to do now but give them a proper burial. Why don't you bring them down to camp and-"

"No." Percy cut him off. Chiron looked flustered. "But, Percy, surely you want to give them what little peace you can offer them?" Percy nodded.

"Of course I do. I owe them that much, at least. But I'm not burying them at Camp. No, I have a better idea." Making a decision, Percy stood and faced the IM.

"I'll miss you Chiron. You were like a second father to me, and you always will be. Thanks for everything. You don't need to worry about me anymore. I'm done with camp. Goodbye."

"Now, Percy, hold on a second, what do you mean-" Percy swiped his hand through the mist, dissolving it. He channeled all his sorrow and grief, and called upon his powers. Using a new trick he had been practicing, he used the water droplets in the air to transport himself and the two bodies to his mom's favorite place. Montauk.

Percy almost collapsed from exhaustion; he had never tried to transport anyone other then himself before. But he forced himself to get up and move. Creating two shrouds out of seaweed and water, he covered his mom and Paul. Saying the final rites and his goodbyes, he lit the shrouds and sent them out to sea.

After a while, Percy stood, wiping his eyes. With one last look at the sea, Percy turned his back and transported once more.

Percy arrived outside the entrance to the Empire State Building. Walking into the lobby, he walked up to the desk.

"600th floor," he mumbled miserably. The guard looked up.

"Sorry kid, there's no such floor," the guard deadpanned, looking bored.

"Cut the act and give me the dang key!" Percy demanded, pulling out his sword. The guard finally gave in, handing him the key. Percy swiped it from his hand, giving him a curt nod before marching to the elevator.

Percy stood before the doors to the throne room, his hand hovering above the handle. He wavered. Did he really want to do this? Yes. He had nothing left, nothing left to live for. What else could he do?

Throwing open the doors, Percy marched into the throne room of the gods. Only the Olympians were in attendance, the thrones of the minor gods stood empty at the edges of the semicircle. The gods all drifted into silence, sitting upon their thrones, gaping at him.

Zeus was the first to recover.

"How dare-" he began, before Poseidon cut him off with a glare. Zeus glared back before beginning again.

"Well, demigod?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. Percy bowed to him, then Poseidon.

"Lord Zeus, I come with a request." Percy announced, his head still bowed.

"Rise, Perseus, tell us of your request. And pray it amuses me, lest I blast you to smithereens for your pompousness." Zeus rumbled menacingly. Poseidon rolled his eyes. No one was more pompous then Zeus himself.

"That's precisely why I've come," Percy admitted. "I came here to die."

Every god and goddess in the room reacted differently. Zeus rubbed his beard, more then a little surprised. Poseidon sat in his throne, frozen, shocked into silence. Ares was grinning wickedly, while Aphrodite gasped, covering her perfect lips with her perfectly manicured hand while her eyes filled with tears.

Hera looked at him incredulously, as did Artemis. Hades was staring at the boy, appraising him. Hermes and Apollo were gaping at Percy like fish out of water. Demeter was watching the boy curiously.

Dionysus had a can of Diet Coke halfway to his mouth, his jaw frozen halfway open, his eyes open wide in surprise. Hephaestus scrutinized the boy, rubbing his beard absent-mindedly. Hestia just looked at Percy sadly from her place by the hearth.

Athena was silent, her lips pressed tightly together, eyes calculating, thinking over every reason as to why Percy would say such a thing. She wanted to start shouting at him, to ask why he would leave Annabeth when he had spent so much time proving his worth to her, but she realized the foolishness of doing so. It would only ignite a shouting match, and she wouldn't want that.

Over the time he had spent proving himself, he had completed many arduous tasks set by Athena herself. Unbeknownst to him, she had also gave him secret tests, tests that Percy wasn't aware of taking.

These tests proved to her the existence of his inner wisdom, his loyalty, his honesty, and everything else she didn't already know. She was aware of his fatal flaw, but she had come to believe that he could keep it under control enough to keep her daughter safe. So why leave her? Unless…no. She couldn't bear the thought that came next. None of her children would be so…stupid. Would they?

Poseidon finally broke the silence.

"WHAT?! Percy, why? No! I refuse! Absolutely not!" Poseidon thundered desperately. Percy just looked at him calmly, sorrow in his eyes.

"Look, Dad, I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you, but I honestly have nothing left to live for. My life is over. There's nothing left for me here." Percy explained sorrowfully, his eyes watering.

The only one to speak was Hestia, who sat by the hearth.

"Why would you request such a thing, young hero? What do you mean, there is nothing left for you?" She asked. Percy shared his reasons.

"Well, first off, it's Annabeth and my 3 year anniversary today. I was going to propose tonight, but before I could, she told me she wanted to go to Stanford and so was dumping me in order to 'concentrate on her studies' or whatever, then I find out my parents are dead, killed by some monster-" He was cut off by his tears spilling over once more. Athena closed her eyes and rubbed her temples while Poseidon gasped.

"Sally - she's dead?" he questioned.

Percy could only nod. Poseidon started shaking, his body racked with sobs. Athena absentmindedly consoled him as she assessed Percy's words. She could sense he was telling the truth, but she was having a hard time believing that Annabeth would do such a thing.

Her children had her wisdom, her sense of justice and her gift of battle strategy. So what made her believe a mortal school would be more beneficial to her then a loving husband who could provide the ultimate amount of protection?

Even though Athena was a maiden, that didn't mean she didn't understand the benefits of having a loving husband. She didn't have anything against men, only sea spawn and fools. So why would Annabeth turn down Percy? Why wouldn't she want a husband? A husband who, despite the odds, had earned her mother's blessing?

With a sinking feeling, Athena remembered that her children almost always inherited her sense of pride as well. Annabeth must have felt that since she had had a hard life for as long as she could remember, she deserved to go to a mortal school and be normal for once.

The fact that Athena was a maiden goddess didn't help matters, and her rivalry with Poseidon worsened the situation even more. If Athena had been less proud and accepted the son of Poseidon before, would he be here now, begging for death because of a poor decision on her daughter's part? Athena sighed. She knew the answer.

Glancing up regretfully at the boy standing in front of her, she listened to the rest of his story.

Percy explained how all but a few of the senior campers had given up on him. He wanted to relax after all the wars, but most of the campers thought he was going soft and was getting lazy. They mocked him, calling him old news and didn't believe the tales they were told about him. The Little Ones were all right, but they were too young to understand, and therefore of no comfort to him.

He continued to wipe away the tears falling down his face as he spoke of how he found his mother and Paul in the alleyway, and how they were the only things he had left to tie him to the mortal world.

"But, what about all your friends Percy? What about the senior campers? They must mean something to you." Hestia asked the young hero.

Percy tried for a smile. "They are all great, really. I couldn't ask for better friends. But, in all honesty, they don't need me anymore. They've all grown up and moved on. They all have important jobs that they enjoy doing, jobs that put a purpose in their lives. Things to do, stuff to keep their days busy. Me, I was content with spending the rest of my life with them and Annabeth at camp, but that's obviously ruined," Percy continued bitterly.

"Nico is always in the Underworld, Thalia with the Hunters. Grover's always off and running around, being a Lord of the Wild and all, and what free time he has he spends with Juniper and me, if he can spare it.

The Stolls are head counselors and they often assist Lord Hermes with deliveries, which keep them occupied. Rachel has school, Clarisse is Ares's chariot driver, and Katie has her duties with Demeter as well as Camp Counselor for the Little Ones, not to mention her gardening hobby.

My friends at Camp Jupiter are great, but they too are busy, and most have forgotten about me by now as well. I truly have nothing left. The people I love most are in the Underworld. Please, please just kill me, let me join them. Don't make me suffer anymore. You'll be doing everyone a favor." Percy begged, growing desperate.

Throughout his speech, the gods had grown even more saddened. They hadn't realized how much they had neglected their heroes, their children.

They had let them have a safer life by attending Camp Half-Blood at a younger age, but by doing so, they had let their children forget what it meant to be a demigod, a hero. They had forgotten the meanings of sacrifice and honor, and had instead become prideful and arrogant.

The evidence of these actions stood before them, presented to them in the form of Percy Jackson, the greatest hero in Greek mythology, who came to them asking for his own death. There had to be another way. Then Athena sat up suddenly, struck with an idea.

Using her godly powers, she spoke telepathically to Artemis. The other gods and goddesses noticed Artemis glaring at Athena and scowling, obviously disagreeing with something Athena had asked or said, before she finally grimaced and nodded reluctantly. Athena lifted her chin in triumph before turning to her father.

Athena cleared her throat. As everyone looked at her, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Father, if I may, I believe I have a solution." She announced. When he nodded his consent, she continued.

"Perseus, I am truly sorry for the pain you have suffered. Especially the pain brought upon you by the foolish decision my daughter has made. Had I known, I could not have done anything to prevent it, but I like to think I would have been easier on you.

As it is, you have proven your worth to me as well as to every god and goddess in this room, and I know I speak for all of us when I say we would not be here without you. You have our gratitude. That said, we simply cannot destroy Olympus's champion, now can we? How foolish do you think we are, to kill the hero that not only won us one war, but two? How would that make us look? No, that would not do. Instead, I propose an alternate solution. Perseus, I believe you said you wished for death due to lack of purpose? Because you have nothing left to tie you to the mortal world?" Percy nodded.

"Very well then. I have discussed with Artemis, and she agrees that, if you so choose, she will grant you the position of Guardian of the Hunt," Athena announced. Each of the Olympians, including Percy, turned to Artemis, their jaws dropped wide. She regarded them coldly.

"It is true. While I am a maiden goddess, and I do dislike boys, I respect a true hero, as well as a boy who has proven himself a man. Perseus has proven himself to be a true hero, and I owe my immortal life to him. We all do. It is the least I can do, even if I do dislike having a man in my Hunt.

But be warned, Perseus, that I will not go easy on you, not for one second. And do not delude yourself with the idea that I am weak, and need your protection, because I don't, and I am only doing this to repay you for what you have done for us gods. It is out of pure duty that I offer you the position of Guardian." Percy bowed.

"Of course, I would expect nothing less Lady Artemis." Percy replied, his mouth quirking up into a weak smile.

"Well, alright then. Perseus, do you swear to protect my daughter and her Hunters from harm, to your utmost ability? Do you swear to act as their Guardian from now to the time of your death?" Zeus thundered.

"I accept the position. I swear, on the River Styx and Chaos, the master of the universe, to keep My Lady Artemis and her Hunters safe to the best of my ability. To remain loyal to her and her Hunters, and to treat them as I would my own family."

The Olympians all looked surprised, as did Percy. No one had sworn on Chaos before. Most demigods hadn't even heard of Chaos. So how had Percy? Percy himself couldn't figure it out either. The words had just come out of his mouth, he hadn't even registered what he had said.

Zeus looked at Percy incredulously. "Why, my boy, did you swear on the creator?" Percy shrugged, looking baffled.

"I…can't explain it…it just felt right." He answered.

"Yes, I suppose it did," a new voice spoke from the shadows behind Percy. The Olympians gasped, and Percy whirled around before kneeling, quickly followed by the Olympians bowing.

"Lord Chaos, I meant no disrespect," he began to explain, but trailed off when Chaos stepped out of the shadows. You couldn't tell whether Chaos was a man or woman, for (s)he took the shape of a swirling portal of darkness, little stars swirling around the inside, spiraling towards the center of the vortex, which seemed to act as the thing's mouth. Two glowing green eyes were at the top of the portal, and his voice seemed to come from deep inside the vortex.

"I have been watching you closely, young hero. Your time has not come. You still have many great things ahead of you. Of that, I am sure. I will not be able to contact you in this way again, but I am here to give you my blessing," Percy nodded mutely, unable to speak.

"I accept, Lord Chaos, this wonderful gift…but may I ask, why me?," Chaos's tone of voice suggested he was smiling as he replied.

"Because, my young hero, you fascinate me. You seem to lack most flaws known to haunt mankind, and are practically incorruptible. This is no easy feat. I have been watching you since you were born, shaping and guiding you into becoming who you are today. In short, Percy, you are my Chosen One. You are my last true descendant."

The Olympians gasped as Percy froze, absorbing this information. Before any of them could react, the eyes of Chaos closed as shadows snaked from the inside of the vortex. Winding around Percy, they lifted him into the air, hiding him from view and swirling even tighter, forming a sort of cocoon.

Finally, they disappeared, and Percy dropped to the ground, One leg extended to the side, one leg bent under him, a hand on the ground to steady him and the other out behind him, he flicked his head up with a wicked smile.

Behind him, new, glossy black wings with small silver, glittering sparkles that imitated stars in between each feather extended behind him. The gods gasped in wonder at the spectacle.

Percy stood shakily, as Chaos addressed him once more. "You are the best hero this world has seen yet Perseus Jackson. I will be watching you. Do not disappoint me," Percy nodded, recovering his wits.

"I will not fail you, My Lord Chaos," Percy proclaimed. The vortex seemed to smile before it disappeared once more. The gods turned to Percy.

"Well then, a decision has been made, and the hero shall live. However, I feel more is required of this situation due to certain…circumstances," Zeus cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Perseus Jackson, I bless you with one wish, along with the assured safety of traveling in my domain. What is your wish?"

Percy thought for a moment.

"Lord Zeus, I think that it would prove useful in my efforts to protect Artemis and the hunters for me to be able to change my shape. My request is that I may be blessed in such a way to allow me to take on the shape of each of the Olympian's sacred animals…Oh, and may I please, for the sake of all us mortals, request better elevator music?" He asked cheekily, earning a few grins. Apollo pouted.

"Hey, I picked out that music!" he protested, causing the other Olympians to chuckle. Zeus resumed speaking.

"Very well then. Perseus Jackson, I bless you with the power over the shapes of each of our sacred animals. May it help you and prove useful to you." As Zeus spoke, a beam of energy shot from his outstretched hands and connected with Percy's chest.

Each of the Olympians followed, the force of the energy lifting Percy off the ground. One by one, each of the Olympians cut off their beam, causing Percy to drift back to the ground slowly, off-balance and slightly dazed.

"Those who wish to offer their blessings to Perseus may do so now. This meeting is adjourned." Zeus and Hera flashed out together, with a final nod to Percy, much to his relief. He knew he did not want any favors from his least favorite goddess.

He was approached by Aphrodite first. Percy tensed upon seeing her approach, but relaxed with her first words.

"Percy, I am so sorry about what happened with Annabeth. I know I said I would make your love life difficult, but I never planned this. I can only do so much. This was all her. I would never wish that kind of heartbreak on anyone, especially knowing how much you love, er, loved her. But don't you worry, I will make sure you still get your happily ever after!"

"Thanks Aphrodite, that means a lot," Percy smiled, resigning himself to the fact that Aphrodite's presence in his love life was something he couldn't control.

"Oh, yes, and my blessing! Of course! I, Aphrodite, bless Perseus Jackson, Hero of Olympus." Percy began to protest, only to be cut off by a blinding light surrounding him. When the light died down, he looked down at himself to find himself wearing a new outfit.

He had on a midnight black shirt with the green Eye of Chaos on it. Within the eye shone the silver moon, which reflected on a lake. It was beautiful. He had on black jeans with silver chains on them.

"Thank you, again," Percy said, turning to Aphrodite.

"Oh, it's no problem really! Those chains are made of a combination of titanium and a godly version of silver, along with some imperial gold and celestial bronze. In short, they are unbreakable. They can be removed and used as weapons." She giggled.

"But that's not all I blessed you with! Here!" She held up a mirror.

Looking into it, the Percy looking back at him looked like an improved version of himself. His eyes seemed brighter, his hair blacker. This Percy had a new haircut, was taller, and had more muscles. His slight gap in his teeth was gone, and his hair didn't stick up so much. He was practically flawless. Hesitantly, he pulled up his shirt to find that instead of the six-pack he had previously had from training, he now had a full on twelve pack. He hurriedly pulled his shirt down when he noticed Aphrodite staring.

Internally, Percy groaned. Didn't Aphrodite get it? He was done with girls, at least for a little while, and becoming super hot would not help him in the mortal world, or the huntresses. At all.

She disappeared before Percy could protest. He sighed, before turning to the next person, who happened to be Hermes, Apollo behind him.

"Percy, I'm sorry about the campers. And as for my sons, I just need their help and…" he trailed off at Percy's raised hand.

"Guys, no worries. It's not your fault, and it never will be. I appreciate the apology though. I'll see you around?"

"First, our blessings," they chorused.

"Percy, I bless you with the gift of travel and packing. So basically, now you can teleport, and can summon common household objects at will." Hermes explained after the light faded.

"My turn! Percy, I bless you with the gift of music and awesomeness. No oracle power, and you can't have my poetic genius. But I'll chip in my archery blessing too. You're gonna need it, what with my little sis and all. Oh yeah, and you can also drive my car sometime." Apollo offered.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it." Percy grinned.

"No problem, Perce." Hermes said before both gods flashed out.

"You have guts, boy." Percy turned to see Hephaestus staring down at him. "I've kept my eye on you, and I'm sorry about what happened with that girl. I can see she meant a lot to you." Looking over at Aphrodite's throne, he sighed.

"It's hard letting a girl you love go, but if there's one thing I've learned is that if it's the right girl, she'll come around." Percy nodded his thanks.

"If you ever need a favor, don't be afraid to ask. It's the least I can do," Hephaestus said with one last pat on the shoulder, before he too flashed out.

Hades wandered over to give his condolences on losing his parents, apologizing that they had to go before their time. They hadn't arrived in the Underworld yet, but he had Charon keeping an eye out for them in the lobby. He promised to make them judges if they so pleased, or at least reserve them a place in Elysium. Percy thanked him deeply.

Dionysus finally admitted that maybe he was wrong, and that maybe Percy was a hero after all. He finally said his name right, and blessed him with the gift of partying, whatever that meant.

Ares growled at him but lifted the curse he had placed on Percy when they first met. Percy figured that was as good as he was going to get.

Athena walked over, once again expressing her sorrow and regret. Percy replied good naturedly, and she gave him her blessing for tactics and battle strategy. Then they shook hands awkwardly before Athena left as well.

Hestia approached next.

"Percy, I know what you have been through. I shall not offer my condolences, though I do grieve for you. Instead, I have a different offer. You gave me Elphis to guard during the Titan War. You trusted me, and said I was the last Olympian. You returned me my throne. For that, I am eternally in your debt. May I offer you the position of being my champion?" Percy looked at Artemis for permission, and when she nodded her consent, he beamed.

"I would be honored, Lady Hestia," he replied with a bow. Hestia smiled.

"Very well then. Perseus Jackson, Savior of Olympus, Guardian of the Hunt, Defeater of Gaea, Son of Poseidon, and Hero of the Gods, I here by name you my champion. I give you my blessing." As Hestia finished, Percy started to glow.

A gold aura surrounded him, and he floated off the ground a few inches. He closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, they flashed a warm orange before returning to their original sea green. He turned to Hestia, flexing his arms and grinning.

"So what cool new powers do I have?" he chuckled. Hestia smiled warmly.

"Percy, my blessing entitles you to a portion of each of my godly powers, but on a lesser scale. You now have an elementary control over fire, can summon and prepare food at will, can transport people to their homes or to the original hearth, and the ability to light your eyes on fire, if you so choose." Hestia listed off with an amused expression. Percy grinned.

"I can make my eyes into flames?" He asked excitedly. Hestia chuckled.

"Of course that's the one you focus on," she laughed, hugging him one last time. "I shall see you soon, my champion."

"Of course, Lady Hestia," Percy replied with a smile before Hestia flashed out. Now all that was left was his father and his mistress.

Poseidon approached.

"My son, my gift is that I bless you with a more powerful control over water. I shall not tell you what this allows you to do with your powers, for that you must find out on your own. I am proud of you, my son," Poseidon attempted to smile at Percy, pulling him into a hug.

"I'm proud of you son, and know, no matter what, you will always have a place at my palace, as the rightful Prince of the Sea." Poseidon said seriously, looking at Percy, pride shining in his eyes through the tears.

Percy nodded, then smiled sadly. He could see that his mom's death was hitting Poseidon as hard as it was hitting him.

"Thanks Dad," the two men hugged before Poseidon flashed out. Now it was just Percy and Artemis.

"Come Perseus, we have work to do," Artemis said, flashing out. Percy looked at where she had been standing before for a moment. Then he humphed.

"Sure, leave the new guy behind, no problem," Percy grumbled, before he too teleported off of Olympus.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

Percy teleported down to the entrance to the Empire State Building, where Artemis was waiting for him. She had her arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently.

"Come, Perseus. Camp is just outside the city, as we were here to pick up Thalia. Meet me there, but fly instead of teleporting. Hover above camp until I signal you to come down. That way, I have time to prepare the girls before you suddenly drop in on them." She instructed him.

Percy nodded, grinning. "As you wish, My Lady," he started to bow, but was stopped by Artemis waving her hand.

"You do not need to bow, Perseus," she told him sternly. Percy looked confused.

"But…I should show my respect for My Lady somehow…If not by bowing, how else shall I show you my respect?" he questioned. Artemis looked surprised.

"Well, whatever you choose is fine, just not bowing," she replied, waving her hand dismissively.

"If you don't mind my asking, why not bowing?" Percy asked. Artemis shrugged.

"It is just so overused. It seems so…insincere," she supplied.

"Then I shall find a way to express my sincerity," he resolved, determination evident in his expression. Artemis smiled slightly.

"Very well. I shall meet you at the camp. Pray this goes well," Percy smiled cheekily.

"I am. I'm talking to you aren't I?" he smirked. Artemis looked him over with her eyes, her expression softening the slightest bit, before flashing out.

Percy ducked into an alley before extending his wings and taking off. Immediately, he felt a small pressure in the back of his mind. Instinctively, he followed it, recognizing that it would lead him to Artemis and the Hunt. He grinned to himself. Cool. He assumed it must come with being a Guardian. He wondered what other powers he had.

Percy was flying above the Camp. He could see the Hunters gathered in front of a figure, presumably Artemis. He couldn't hear what they were saying without getting closer, but doing so would reveal his position. Then he spotted a low hanging cloud.

Swooping down, Percy hid behind the cloud. He could vaguely hear Artemis speaking due to his enhanced hearing. (He assumed it came with one of the blessings – he couldn't remember which.) She was telling them about the meeting. Good, he hadn't missed much. He listened closer.

Artemis was explaining the situation to the girls. She had explained the point of the meeting, and was getting to how it concluded.

"Well, did anything productive happen at the meeting?" Phoebe asked impatiently.

"Well….girls, I have some important news. It affects all of you, so listen closely. And please, save your comments and judgments until the end." The Hunters shifted around, muttering among themselves.

"During the meeting, a hero came to us, the gods, with a request. He requested that the gods kill him," the Hunters gasped, shocked at the hero's boldness but also tittering at his cowardliness.

"Don't judge him too harshly girls. He had nothing left to live for. His mortal family was killed, the entire camp turned it's back on him, save few, and lastly, his girlfriend, who he was preparing to propose to, broke his heart," Artemis explained, amidst the clucks of pity and sympathy. Artemis continued.

"I know you all have joined my Hunt for various reasons, but the majority of you joined due to the betrayal of a man. Well, this time it is a man who is betrayed by a woman. Most of you know how this feels." This statement was met by nods of consent all around.

"In order to save this hero, a man who has done the gods a great service, I offered him a position that has never been occupied. As Mistress of the Hunt, I am entitled to one Lieutenant, as well as a Guardian. Today, the position of Guardian of the Hunt has been fulfilled. This hero shall be with us at all times, and has sworn by the most binding oath possible to protect us all from any and all harm. You are to accept him and treat him as you would your sisters. Am I clear?" Artemis's speech was met by reluctant nods amidst loud protests.

"Lady Artemis, you can't possibly let a man into the Hunt, that is precisely why we joined the Hunt, to escape men forever. We have sworn off of them!" One of the newer Hunters, Arietta, protested.

"Just as he has sworn off women, at least for the time being. He is under strict orders to respect and protect each and every one of you, and I expect you to do the same. He will be here soon, and I expect him to be welcomed into the camp, just as each of you were." Artemis finalized.

Percy had been listening from behind his cloud, and as he listened to the girls' protests, he had an idea. He wished for a cloak to cover his face, and, with the help of Aphrodite and her blessing, one materialized around him.

The cloak was midnight black, with a hood that could be pulled low enough to shield his eyes from view, let still magically let him see out. The cloak flowed to his ankles, flapping silently in the wind, but had slits in the back for his wings. He smiled. Now he was ready.

As he heard Artemis finish her explanation, he angled his wings into a steep dive, aimed at a point directly behind Artemis. Diving, Percy raced towards the ground at such a speed that the Hunters merely saw a black blur streaking down from the heavens.

Percy hit the ground with a BOOM, sending a cloud of dust and dirt up around him. His hood pulled down, he slowly stood, his wings still extended. He radiated power, and the Hunters watched in awe, although they hid it well with scowls and suspicious looks. A few had drawn their bows, but relaxed when they saw Artemis was not alarmed.

Percy took three quick steps to Artemis, who had a surprised yet amused look on her face, before retracting his wings into his back, crossing one arm across his chest, and inclining his head.

"My Lady," he said mysteriously, causing Artemis to roll her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked, slightly amused, but covering it with a poker face like her huntresses.

"I am simply expressing my respect for you through a way other then bowing," Percy supplied, smirking. Artemis was about to reply before she was interrupted.

"Who are you?" Thalia asked boldly, stepping forward.

"What, don't recognize your own cousin, Thals?" Percy chuckled, his voice instantly changing from the deep, serious tone to a much lighter, teasing, familiar one. A look of confusion crossed Thalia's face.

"Oh come on, Pinecone Face-"

"I think it is time to reveal your self, Guardian," Artemis interrupted, prodding him in the back exasperatedly.

Chuckling, Percy complied, shedding the cloak and letting it fall to the ground. Gasps could be heard throughout the group.

"PERCY!" Thalia ran to him and hugged him tightly. "What are you doing here? What about Annabeth? And- by the gods you did NOT go to the gods to ask for death?! Percy, how could you?! Annabeth will be devastated! You know-" she was cut off by Artemis.

"Thalia, what he did was his choice and his alone, it is up to him to share with you what he wants to," she reprimanded shortly.

"Of course My Lady. " Thalia relented, flushing slightly.

"Sorry Perce, it's just…what happened?" Thalia questioned. Percy sighed, and Thalia quickly backtracked.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I get it. I understand, it's just that when I left you were so happy and now…" Thalia trailed off, looking at Percy's face.

"And now…what?" he questioned. Thalia looked at him.

"Have you seen yourself lately Percy? You look strong and healthy…but your eyes give you away." She said sadly. Percy swallowed.

Turning towards the hunters, he addressed the group. "You deserve to know why I made my choice. All of you do. If we are to be family, then I shall keep no secrets."

The hunters looked at him with hostility, but some looked surprised at his honesty.

"You see, today is my ex-girlfriend-," One of the hunters broke in.

"That girl who was used as bait to trap My Lady? The one who held the sky? The Official Architect of Olympus?" she questioned. Percy winced, but nodded and continued.

"Anyway, it is my ex-girlfriend and my 3 year anniversary today, and she dumped me. My parents are dead, killed by some monster. I had nothing left. So I went to the gods to die. They offered me this position, and I accepted." He looked around, his pain evident in his eyes.

The Hunters were quiet. Never before had they heard of a man's heart being broken by a woman, only of men being the heartbreakers. This new revelation puzzled them. They didn't quite understand how to treat him, so they acted cautiously.

"Erm, so, what should we do now, My Lady?" Hadley asked.

"Well, why don't we introduce ourselves girls?" Artemis suggested. The girls nodded in agreement.

"I'm Hadley," Hadley started, pointing to herself, "and I'm 14. My sisters are Arianna, who is 16, Kaelyn, 13, Anya, 12, Calista or Cali, 7, Luna, 8, Arietta or Ari, 17, Jenna, 11, Alexis or Lexi, 6, Skylar, 13, Kiara, 15, Ally, 5, Kate, 16, Lydia, 12, and Phoebe, 17. You obviously already know Thalia."

Percy grinned. "Straight to the point, I like it." Hadley looked at him suspiciously before turning away with a small 'humph'. Percy slumped a little, then started to turn to Artemis, a question evident on his lips, but he stopped when he noticed a small figure watching him.

He looked back at her curiously, meeting her stare. He could see no hostility in her eyes, only curiosity, so he walked over and kneeled in front of her.

"And what's your name?" he asked quietly. She looked startled that he approached her, but recovered quickly.

"Ally," she murmured, so softly Percy could barely hear her. He smiled.

"Well, you look to me as if you could be my little sister!" Percy smiled at her, and she tentatively smiled back. The Hunters looked at him in confusion. Ally didn't resemble Percy at all. She had startlingly blue eyes, and straight hair that was light brown in color. She looked up at him through long brown lashes.

"I do?" she asked softly.

"You do." Percy reassured her. "May I have the honor of being your new big brother?" he requested cheekily, smiling wide. Ally studied him for a moment before nodding slowly, her smile barely evident.

"Great!" Percy exclaimed enthusiastically, swinging her up into his arms, causing her to gasp slightly before giggling a little.

"So, when do I begin, My Lady?" he asked impishly, turning back to Artemis. She smirked.

"Oh, right now, Guardian. You may start by making us dinner, since it is getting late, and then you may do the laundry, collect the arrows from the targets, and then sharpen said arrows." Percy groaned, setting Ally back down on the ground.

"All that, on my first day?" he mock-complained. Artemis merely stepped aside and made a 'go on' gesture towards the kitchens.

"Very well," he grumbled, "what would you all like for dinner?" Percy conjured a pen and paper from thin air, (courtesy of Hermes), surprising everyone.

The girls described what they would like, their choices ranging from hamburgers to fondue to roasted duck to lobster. They ordered drinks, sides, desserts, everything you could think of, smirking at the thought of Percy slaving away for hours to prepare it all.

"And you, My Lady?" Percy turned to Artemis.

"I shall have a plate of ambrosia and a glass of nectar, if you will Perseus," she requested.

"Geez, you guys sure can eat," Percy grumbled. Taking one last look at the notepad, he stashed it in his pocket before turning to the table. Smirking at the girls' confused faces, he clapped twice, and everything the girls had ordered appeared on the table. As they gasped in awe, he winked at them.

"Blessing of Hestia," he revealed, shrugging. The girls raced each other to the table, each finding their specially laid out meal with their name on a name card in front of it. Artemis was at one end of the table, with Percy at the other. Artemis had Thalia to her right and Phoebe on her left. Percy was next to the little girls, Cali, Alexis, Luna, and Ally. He had them giggling and laughing within minutes.

Percy smiled. Back at camp, he had loved playing with the Little Ones. They had been so easy to win over, and they always loved him. They never held anything against him, and always made him forget his problems.

"So Perseus," Artemis called from the other side of the table. Percy looked up, still chuckling.

"Yes, My Lady?" he replied, discreetly poking Cali under the table, causing her to giggle.

"I was wondering just how many blessings you received from the other gods and goddesses. I was not able to see them all." She commented slyly. Percy smirked.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, smirking. Artemis looked confused, before her expression hardened and she nodded brusquely.

"All right then, where shall I start?" he asked mischievously. Artemis smirked.

"Your choice, Guardian," she motioned to him. Percy replied with a polite incline of his head.

"Alright, well, starting with Lord Zeus, I got one wish, and I chose the power to shape-shift into any of the Olympian's sacred animals. From my Dad, I got increased sea powers. From Hades, he promised my parents jobs as judges in the Underworld, or Elysium. I'm extremely grateful to him for that.

Um, Aphrodite blessed me with cool clothes, whatever I want. Apollo gave me the gift of, um, 'awesomeness' and music, as well as a small archery blessing. Hermes blessed me with travel and packing, so I can teleport at will and can summon common household objects.

Dionysus blessed me with the gift of 'partying', and Hephaestus said to call him up if I ever needed a favor. Ares lifted the curse he put on me when I was 11 and defeated him-"

"Wait, what?!" Thalia and a few older huntresses interrupted. Percy didn't stop, as he was on a roll.

"Um, okay, then Athena blessed me with battle tactics and strategy, and then Hestia asked me to be her champion, and gave me control over fire, cooking, and the hearth. So yeah, that's about it." He finished, looking around.

"What?" he asked after a minute of silence. The hunters were all staring at him in shock, while Artemis was smirking.

"Oh, yeah, wait, and I forgot Chaos's blessing. That's where I got the wings." He offered, slightly embarrassed from all the stares.

"C-Chaos? What?!" Thalia and the hunters chorused. Percy blushed.

"Um…it turns out I'm Chaos's last remaining descendant? And I have his blessing?" Percy said questioningly.

He received astonished stares, and an amused chuckle from Artemis, who was enjoying Percy's expression, which revealed that he was obviously uncomfortable. The Hunters stared at him for a while before going back to their food and slowly beginning to chat animatedly among themselves, to Percy's relief.

Awhile later, after the conversation had returned to a normal degree, Percy leaned over to his right, smiling at Ally.

"So, what did you want for dessert, Ally-Cat?" Percy teased, turning back to the nine year old on his right. She stopped bouncing up and down in her seat and looked down at her hands.

"Well, today is my birthday, and I was kind of hoping for a small cupcake or something, but I didn't want to say anything because it's not that big of a deal," she said shyly, shrugging.

"What?! Of COURSE it's a big deal!" Percy exclaimed loudly, grinning. He lifted Ally from her chair and onto his shoulders as he stood up. Giggling softly, Ally grabbed onto his head in order to keep herself from falling off. She had already taken to him, with his easy-going nature and kind face, he had easily won over all the little girls.

The table had quieted down at Percy's outburst and the Hunters were all staring at him. This time, he merely grinned.

"Today is a very special day!" he announced goofily, causing several Hunters to glare at him, while others rolled their eyes, including Thalia, although hers was jokingly, and the younger ones squealed.

"And what makes the occasion where we become stuck with you special?" Skylar sneered.

Percy's grin faltered for a moment, dropping into a frown as he looked at the black-haired girl with a hurt look. He looked down in embarrassment and noticed Cali waving at him, smiling with a small gap in her teeth from where she had lost a tooth. Her cheerfulness made him smile again.

"Erm, well, actually, I was talking about the fact that it's Ally-Cat's birthday today!" Percy exclaimed with renewed excitement, pointing up to the little girl on his shoulders.

"I'd be 6 today," she revealed shyly. The Hunters looked shocked that they hadn't known, or even bothered to ask, when her birthday was.

Percy brought her down from his shoulders and set her down, standing, on his chair. He looked into her eyes.

"Well, that deserves something special, doesn't it?" he asked, smiling at her. She cautiously nodded back, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"What's your favorite color, Ally?" he asked her. She looked at him, confused, before answering with a soft 'pink'. He winked at her.

"Well then, it's time to celebrate!" Percy announced, before clapping his hands once more.

Instantly, drinks, snacks, and a giant tower of pink cupcakes replaced the empty plates on the table. The top cupcake was the biggest, and had a candle sticking out of the top.

A pink tablecloth covered the table, and there were pink streamers, pink confetti, and pink balloons everywhere! The little girls squealed in delight and ran to the balloons, untying a couple from the paperweights in order to play with them. Percy turned up the volume of a speaker and iPod he had produced from his pocket (a gift from Apollo), and bent down to Ally, who was looking around in awe.

"Do you like it?" he asked her. She nodded slowly, then faster as a smile alighted her face. She threw her arms around Percy, whispering a thank you into his ear.

"No one has ever gone to such trouble for me," she admitted. Percy was saddened to hear this, but cheered her up considerably with his next sentence.

"Well, you should get used to it, because I'm your big brother now and I'll always go to the trouble of making you feel special Ally-Cat. Now go have fun with your sisters," he grinned, pushing her towards the girls with the balloons.

He watched her run over to her sisters and grab a balloon to play with. He smiled at her antics. She was a sweet girl.

Sensing a presence behind him, Percy turned around to find Artemis.

"My Lady," he greeted nervously. After all, he had done all this without her permission.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, I just wanted to-" Artemis cut him off.

"Relax, Perseus. I was angry at first, but I came over here to thank you," she interrupted. He blinked in astonishment.

"For what?" he asked.

Artemis sighed. "Ally has always been shy. She has been with us for only half a year, and still I do not know much about her other then she is extremely good at archery and loves the color pink. I don't know who her godly parent is, and I didn't even know it was her birthday," she revealed, her lips pursed.

"This is the first time I've seen her so happy. And it's thanks to you." She relented.

"Thank you My Lady, it means a lot," Percy nodded. There was a brief silence.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you have girls so young in your hunt?" Percy asked curiously. Artemis looked at him accusingly, then softened when she saw he was being sincere.

"Cali is Lydia's little sister, so we took the two of them in when their mother died. They are both daughters of Apollo." Percy nodded. He could see that, as both girls had startlingly blue eyes. Cali had her father's blonde hair, which formed curly ringlets that hung about her shoulders, but Lydia had what Percy assumed to be her mother's brown, straight hair.

"Luna is a descendant of Selene, and Jenna is a daughter of Hecate. They came to us together. Jenna had been looking after them both for a while after they met on the run. Neither of their mortal parents cared for them, so they ran away from home. They ran into a monster we were hunting, and joined us once we saved them." Percy was saddened by the tragedies that had befallen these girls, but he could see the resemblance to their godly relative.

Luna had silvery blonde hair that cascaded down her back. Her skin was as pale as the moon, and her eyes were the color of the night sky. The moon seemed to reside in her eyes in the form of a small, silver crescent. Her smile was as bright as a star, and she carried herself with a grace befitting a queen, even at the age of 8.

Jenna had jet-black hair and violet eyes. She had delicate features, yet her eyes told a different story. The aura around her crackled with energy when she concentrated her powers, which Percy saw as she magically conjured a gift-wrapped present for Ally. He watched as she created more gifts per each of the girls' requests. All of this was done quietly and discreetly, so that Ally didn't notice.

"Alexis came to us with the guidance of her mother, Athena. Alexis's father died when she was 3, and she had been living with a horrid older stepbrother for years before she ran away. Then she found us, and we took her in," Artemis explained, looking over at the younger girl fondly. Percy looked over to see Alexis doubled over laughing, her blonde curls falling in her face, her grey eyes sparkling with delight.

"As for Ally, we found her unconscious in an alleyway, a drunkard passed out next to her," Artemis gritted her teeth, practically spitting out her words. Percy's hands were clenched into fists, and he was shaking from the effort of remaining calm. Looking over towards the blue-eyed brunette, Artemis continued.

"She doesn't seem to remember what happened to her, and we'd like to keep it that way. She is very conservative though. This is the only time I've ever seen her so happy," Artemis said as she looked at Percy appraisingly. Percy smiled back, glad that he could help.

Percy looked around, noticing the girls having a good time. Thalia had gotten the older girls dancing, and was teaching them modern dance moves. He grinned as he watched them, before realizing something. Thinking quickly, he grinned before concentrating his powers to create the perfect present for Ally.

"PRESENT TIME!" Percy bellowed over the music sometime later in the evening. The girls turned off the music and ran over to Percy, gathering in front of the only empty table. Ally blinked at them all in astonishment.

"Wha-what do you mean?" she asked hesitantly, gazing up at each of them.

"Silly, you didn't think we were going to let you go present-less on your birthday, did you?" Percy teased, poking her gently in the stomach. Ally giggled lightly before looking down at her shoes bashfully.

"I've never gotten a present before," she admitted quietly, tugging at her hair nervously. Her statement broke Percy's heart, but he put a smile on his face.

"Well then, we're going to change that, aren't we?" he asked the girls. They all nodded in agreement, albeit some of them grudgingly.

"Alright, who's first?" Percy asked. Phoebe stepped up, a medium sized box in her hand.

"Here Squirt, Happy Birthday," she smiled, one corner of her mouth quirking up as she handed Ally her present and ruffled her hair. Ally thanked her before gently tugging at the ribbon, slowly unwrapping the gift. So slowly, in fact, that Percy got impatient.

"No, Ally, you don't have to preserve the paper, just rip it all up, like this!" Percy demonstrated by ripping off a huge chunk of the silver paper. Ally watched him before taking a chunk and ripping it off.

"There you go!" Percy encouraged as Ally ripped off all the paper excitedly, finally getting down to the box, which she hurriedly opened. Inside the box was a silver shirt, size small. Percy recognized it as a smaller replica of the collectible Hunter's shirt the Stolls had played a prank on Phoebe with.

She had obviously tried to wash it out, shrinking it in the process. It was quite a generous gift, as Percy knew Phoebe really liked that shirt. Ally was squealing with excitement, pulling it on over her Hunter's uniform.

Running up to Phoebe, she threw herself at her, wrapping her arms around her legs and gazing up at her with joyous eyes.

"Thank you, Phoebe. I love it," she smiled. Phoebe smiled back, ruffling her hair.

"No problem Al, glad you like it," she replied.

"I'll go next," Arietta announced, standing up. She proceeded to hand Ally her gift, which turned out to be a hair comb decorated with silver flowers that turned into a dagger, much like the one Bianca had found in the junkyard of the gods all those years ago.

Following Arietta was Arianna, who gave Ally a small coin pouch that was enchanted to always have 5 drachmas in it.

Kate gave Ally a small prism, through which she could make a rainbow and use to contact anyone in the blink of an eye, which Ally placed in the purse.

Kiara gave Ally a new quiver of specially designed arrows, and Hadley followed up with a new, intricately carved bow.

Kaelyn presented Ally with a pink stuffed unicorn, which Ally hung onto the rest of the night.

Skylar's present to Ally was a flute that would call any bird or small woodland creature that was nearby to her, and would aid her if she needed.

Anya's gift was a pair of moon boots, which were basically a pair of boots with springs on the bottom. But these shoes were magically enhanced, demigod style, so they allowed Ally to jump up to 20 feet into the air, which caused her to shriek with amusement. (Although Percy just about had a heart attack watching her.)

Lydia conjured a miniature lyre from behind her back, and taught Ally how to play it, much to her delight.

Jenna had concocted a special, sparkly nail polish that changed color and pattern according to Ally's outfit and mood, which Ally immediately put on and was delighted to find really worked. (It was pink presently.)

Luna gave Ally a silver flower that Percy immediately recognized as moonlace. Ally declared it the prettiest flower she had ever seen and immediately planted it in the enchanted pot Cali had decorated for her, before running to her tent to put it next to her bed.

When she returned, Alexis presented Ally with a beautifully crafted silver carving. Using some magical silver substance, Lexi had used her designing skills to draw the image of a wolf pup curled around the base of a small tree, in which a small owl sat. The moon was partially hidden behind some branches, and a bow leaned against the trunk. Percy realized Jenna must have conjured the carving for Lexi based on the designs, and was quite impressed with the two of them.

"Me next," Thalia insisted, coming forward with a tiny box. Ally opened it to find a small silver ring inside. Engraved on it over and over again was the word 'sister'.

"Happy Birthday Ally," Thalia grinned as she held up her hand, showing off the same ring, only in a bigger size. Ally's grin widened further as she watched each of her sisters raise their hands, showing her the same ring. Ally hugged Thalia tightly, thanking her profusely, to which Thalia responded by chuckling softly.

"Ally, may I present my gift now?" Artemis asked mischievously, holding something behind her back. Ally nodded excitedly, bouncing up and down with anticipation.

Smiling, Artemis drew out from behind her a wolf pup, a small ball of wiggling white fur. Ally squealed in excitement, causing the pup to leap out of Artemis's hands and bound over to Ally, licking her face excitedly.

"I love him, thank you Lady Artemis!" she exclaimed happily, laughing at the feeling of the pup's tongue on her cheek.

"Each of my huntresses receives a wolf pup after their first year of service. It is up to you what to name him, and we will help you train him and take care of him until you are able to on your own." Artemis explained.

"I'm going to name him Kyrios, or Ky for short," she grinned. Artemis nodded in approval.

"'Guardian'. It is befitting of him," she remarked.

"I named him after Percy, because Percy is our guardian," Ally explained simply. Her comment warmed Percy's heart, causing his smile to grow.

Ally was beaming so largely that Percy couldn't help but chuckle. He bent down to her level.

"I believe it is my turn, no?" Percy requested, bending down to Ally's level. Each of the Hunters, along with Artemis, watched him curiously. A couple turned to Jenna, who shrugged to show she didn't provide the gift. They all turned back to Percy curiously.

Opening his hands, Percy revealed a small, stunning silver bracelet. It hung on a delicate silver chain with a silver crescent, a tiny trident, a silvery-blue seashell, a small crystal, and silver 'A' hanging from it. A sea blue-green ribbon was threaded through the chains. Ally put it on her wrist, admiring it. Percy smiled.

"Hold the moon charm between your first finger and thumb," he suggested slyly. Ally did, and immediately after she let go, the bracelet glowed with a blue-green aura. The bracelet started to sparkle, elongating and turning into a hunting horn. Ally stared at it in astonishment.

At the same time, Percy stood and whistled, a nice, loud, New York taxi-call whistle, and two Pegasi flew down from the sky, a large black one with a tiny one by its side.

Once they landed, Percy bent down and whispered into Ally's ear. She immediately broke out into a smile and nodded vigorously. Percy stood up, smiling. Then proceeded to explain his gifts.

"Ally, this is a special kind of hunting horn, which, when sounded, will send out a signal. Only sound it when the Hunt, Artemis, or yourself are in immediate danger, and help will come.

Also, this is my loyal Pegasus, Blackjack. He and his wife had a daughter, a small baby Pegasus named Lela (Lee-la). Her name means loyalty. She has agreed to be your friend and steed as Blackjack is mine, and his wife is with Anna-er, someone who I used to be close to." Percy interrupted himself, a flash of pain echoing in his eyes before they returned to normal.

"The other charms on your bracelet have special powers too. The trident charm transforms into an Ally-sized trident. The seashell will call any nearby help, whether it turns out to be merman, hippocampi, or naiad, from the closest water source. Whoever/Whatever it calls will aid you in any way they can.

The crystal will create an insta-rainbow, making it easy for you to IM anyone you may need to in case you lose your new prism. The 'A'…well, the A does something extra special, but don't use it until you know it's the right time, okay?" Ally nodded vigorously, smiling hugely. Throwing her arms around Percy once more, she thanked him profusely. Percy merely smiled in response.

"It's no problem Ally-cat, really, I just want you to enjoy your special day," he chuckled, albeit having Ally wrapped around him in a tackle of a hug. The Hunters and Artemis watched the scene with various reactions.

Artemis looked like she was having an argument with herself in her head. Thalia was smiling widely, happy that both her little sister and her brother (well, technically cousin) were getting along.

The older Huntresses were watching with looks of disapproval, but some of them seemed to be softening as they watched Ally's face light up with happiness.

The little girls were huddled together whispering. At least, they were until Percy spotted them over Ally's shoulder.

"What's that you have there girls?" he asked, prying Ally off of him gently. The little girls whipped around, looking sheepish. They had something behind their backs.

"It's a surprise for Ally!" Cali piped up, and Lexi hurriedly shushed her. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what kind of surprise might that be?" he asked, winking at them. The girls smiled and pulled out the giant cupcake that had been on the top of the cupcake tower. Now it had a glowing silver candle, and the girls held it out to Ally.

"Happy Birthday to you…" they chorused, and soon the whole group was singing. Artemis watched with a small smile, as Ally smiled shyly from where she was hiding behind Percy's leg.

After they finished, everyone clapped, and Percy made an exaggerated effort to catch Ally, ending up tripping himself and lying on his back with Ally giggling from her perch on his stomach. Percy merely smiled, and began to tickle the little girl into oblivion. Finally Artemis interrupted by clearing her throat.

Percy froze from his spot on the ground, and in one swift movement had swooped Ally up in his arms and stood up, setting her down in front of him lightly.

"Yes, My Lady?" he asked respectfully, although he winked at Ally when he thought Artemis wasn't paying attention.

"Perseus, as grateful as I am that you threw this impromptu party for Ally, you have duties to attend to. It is getting late, and it is time for my huntresses to get to bed. We break camp in the morning." Percy nodded.

"Of course My Lady," he replied, inclining his head with his arm across his chest. He then clapped his hands, and the mess of empty plates, gift-wrappings, and popped balloons all disappeared. The only thing left was one paperweight with 10 pink balloons tied to it, as a reminder of Ally's special day. The huntresses all drifted off, the younger ones lingering while the older scattered.

"Night Perce," Thalia called as she walked off towards her tent with the others. Percy acknowledged her with a wave, and then bent down to address the little girls that surrounded him.

"Percy, Percy, will you tuck us in? Please? Please?" they begged, dancing around him in a circle. Percy chuckled.

"I don't know girls, I have a lot of work to do…" he trailed off, looking at their crestfallen faces.

"But I guess a few minutes wouldn't hurt!" he complied, scooping up Ally onto his shoulders and tucking Cali and Lexi under his arms. They all squealed in delight, Luna attaching herself to his leg. Half walking, half dragging himself, Percy made his way to the huntresses' tent, Artemis chuckles trailing after him.

When Percy and the girls entered the tent, the chatter immediately fell silent. Percy shuffled awkwardly in the doorway.

"Uh…just dropping these four off for bed…don't mind me!" he announced. Wading through the beds in the tent, he made his way to the girls' beds, which were all together in the back, thankfully. Playfully depositing each girl on the correct bed, he tucked them all in and was getting ready to leave when he heard a small voice.

"Big brother?" He froze, then turned around.

"Yes Ally-Cat?" he replied softly, bending down to hear her better.

"Could you tell us a bedtime story?" she asked shyly, looking up at him with an expression that melted his heart.

"Sure sweetie." He replied without thinking. "Um…Once upon a time, there was a young prince, and his name was-"

"Percy!" Cali interrupted.

"Yes?" Percy stopped. Cali giggled.

"No, I mean the prince's name was Percy!" she explained. Percy shrugged.

"Alright then. Once upon a time, there was a young prince named Prince Percy. He lived in a castle with his loving mother, Queen Sally, and his evil stepfather, King Gabriel."

"That's not right! It's the evil stepmother, not stepfather," Alexis protested, her intelligent grey eyes narrowed. Percy smiled.

"Oh, no, not in this story. Queen Sally was the nicest queen in the whole world. She was nice to everyone, and always baked the best blue cookies ever,"

"Blue cookies?" Luna asked. Percy nodded, and Luna nodded back seriously, accepting it without any more questions.

"King Gabriel only married Queen Sally because she was a queen, but Queen Sally did it to protect Prince Percy, as King Gabriel had a big army to protect the kingdom. His real father, King Poseidon, had been lost at sea years before, and Queen Sally had been forced to find a new king to rule the kingdom, despite her wishes against it.

One day, however, a wicked witch named Alecto attacked the kingdom. King Gabriel was too lazy to send his army after her, and she attacked Prince Percy. Poor Prince Percy was only twelve.

Queen Sally took Prince Percy and fled the kingdom, trying to take him to a different kingdom where he would be safe. On the way, however, a fearsome monster called the Bull-man captured Queen Sally. Prince Percy had to fight off the monster, but it was too late. His mother was gone.

Alone and frightened, Prince Percy made his way to the kingdom his mother wanted him to go to, Half-Blood Kingdom. He was accepted in the kingdom and treated well, but no one knew he was really a prince.

Then, a few days later, Prince Percy received a letter from his father, King Poseidon, who wasn't dead after all, but was instead living far, far away from home. Half-Blood kingdom made Percy a Lord, as King Dionysus and his Royal Advisor, Chiron, already ruled the kingdom, and sent him on a quest to save the kingdom.

The reason for the quest was that Percy's father, King Poseidon, had been accused of stealing High Lord Zeus's Lightning Staff, with which he ruled the land.

If Prince Percy did not find and return the staff, a war would break out across the kingdoms, and that would be no good for anyone. So with his new companions, Lady Annabeth Chase and Sir Grover Underwood, Prince Percy set out to find the Lightning Staff and his mother." Percy stopped, causing the little girls to whine.

"Why'd you stop?" Cali asked, pouting. Percy chuckled.

"Because you need to go to bed, and I have work to do. I'll finish the story another night. It's bedtime now." He replied.

"Okay. Good night Percy." Cali said, snuggling into her covers. Percy smiled and tucked her in, kissing her lightly on the forehead. Only one day, and already the little girls had him wrapped around their fingers.

"Night Cali."

"Good night Percy."

"Percy?" Alexis questioned.

"Yes, Lexi?" he turned towards her next, tucking her blankets around her and handing her the silver stuffed owl her mother had given her.

"Is Prince Percy you? And Queen Sally your mommy? Is the story real? I hope not, because King Gabriel sounds mean. You don't deserve anything mean. You're nice." She stated, looking into his eyes, her own slowly drifting shut, her comments sounding sleepier and more disjointed by the second. Percy chuckled.

"Thank you Lexi, and you are very smart. You're right, the story is kind of real. Not all of it though. Sleep tight now." He kissed her head then turned to Luna.

"Night Percy." She chimed.

Percy tucked her in too, before turning to Ally, who had her moonlace on the bedside table, and Ky curled up at the end of her bed. Lela had flown off with Blackjack, but had promised to return when Ally whistled for her.

"Night Ally-Cat." He said, tucking her in and kissing her head. As she snuggled down into her blanket, he heard her murmured reply.

"Night big brother." She sighed, drifting off into a peaceful sleep. Percy smiled softly, turning towards the entrance of the tent and then freezing in his tracks. Every single one of the older girls was watching him curiously.

Percy blushed. Had they been listening the whole time? Some looked hostile or put out at his actions, offended that he was in their tent and winning over their sisters, while others looked like they didn't know what to make of any of it. Thalia was watching with a small smile on her face.

"Um…night everyone," Percy muttered, embarrassed. He made his way out of the tent and over to the archery range, where he gathered all the arrows and set to sharpening them.

After the long and tiring process of sharpening all the arrows, he washed all the old Hunter uniforms that were in the Laundry tent. Thankfully for Percy, his water powers helped speed up the process greatly.

Once he was done, a good 2 to 3 hours later, he looked around for a place to sleep. Seeing no tent for him, he made his way towards Artemis's tent, which was enchanted closed. He could hear soft sighing coming from the inside, and smiled lightly.

Hopping up onto a low branch of a nearby tree and spreading his wings to keep him balanced, Percy settled into a light sleep, keeping guard over his new family and allowing himself to give into his exhaustion after such an eventful day.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

*BAAAA…DA DADADA BA DA DADADA BADA DADADADAAAAAAAAAA DA BA DADADA DA DADADADA DADADADADA DADA* (Army wake up call)

"ARGH!" Percy let out an alarmed yell, attempting to twist into a sitting position, forgetting he was in a tree, and ending up sprawled on his back on the ground, moaning. Groaning, he sat up, wincing as he stretched his wings out, which had been bent out of shape when he fell on them. He heard snickers and cruel laughter from behind him.

Standing up slowly, he rubbed his head where it had made contact with the ground. Looking up, he saw the older huntresses, minus Thalia, laughing at him. Phoebe was smirking, holding a horn in her hand. Percy concluded that it was she that blew the horn. Gritting his teeth, he brushed himself off. He did not like being made fun of. He had opened his mouth to retort when he was interrupted.

"Percy! Percy! Percy!" the little girls ran up to him, squealing. He couldn't help but smile at them.

"Look, look!" They jumped up and down, motioning to their hair, which was done up fancily. Cali's curly hair was pulled back into a pretty up-do, some sort of bun that looked like an upside down muffin, but in a good way.

It looked sort of like the buns that they had in those Barbie movies – which he had been forced to watch when Piper convinced him to watch the Little Ones in her cabin while she went on a date with Jason. The little demons loved him for reasons he couldn't fathom, but they weren't so bad once they de-activated their inner divas.

Alexis had some of the front strands of her hair pinned to the back, and her hair was in its natural princess curls. Luna had her hair in a perfect fishtail braid – Percy remembered that type of braid from when Annabeth had hers done like that for one of their dates. Ally had her hair curled in ringlets, which hung perfectly around her face, making her blue eyes pop. Percy smiled.

"Why, you all look like little princesses! Hmm, just like the little princesses from your bedtime story!" He told them, bending down to their level as they all giggled.

"Thanks Percy!" they chorused, practically glowing from the compliment.

"Thalia and Lady Artemis helped!" Ally supplied shyly.

"Wait, what princesses? There were no princesses in your story!" Alexis said accusingly. Percy winked at her.

"Not yet, there isn't," he replied, poking her in the stomach and making her giggle.

"Oh, come on Perce, don't tell me you fell out of a tree again," Thalia teased, walking up to the group, slightly behind lady Artemis. Percy mock glared at her.

"Of course not Thals, and come on, that's not fair, you set Mrs. O'Leary on me on purpose. When I was sleeping." He reminded her, exasperatedly. She smirked.

"Well, we all know that after the whole second time in the Styx thing, nothing short of a lightning bolt will wake you up." She teased.

After he had re-bathed in the Styx in order to defeat Gaea, it had become almost impossible to wake Percy up. He had hoped it would wear off eventually, but so far there was no change. Then Percy remembered how he was woken up, and his easygoing smile melted into a small scowl. Thalia noticed.

"What?" she asked, looking first at him then the group of older girls.

"What happened?" Percy looked at the older girls, who wouldn't meet his eyes. He opened his mouth to rat them out, but thought better of it, and sighed.

"Nothing. You were right, I was just being clumsy." He lied. He noticed Artemis scrutinizing him, but he didn't give anything away. Thalia looked back and forth between Percy and the older girls, eyes narrowed, before giving up and shrugging.

"So…what now?" Percy asked, breaking the silence. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Why, breakfast of course." She intoned, looking over his ruffled appearance with bemused eyes. He hastily saluted her and pulled out his notepad.

"Of course My Lady. Girls?" he asked. He took the order of the little girls first, as they were jumping up and down around him, shouting "Me, me first! Me!" Once he was done with them, he turned to the older girls. Smirking lightly at each other, they began their order.

Attempting to make life harder on poor Percy, they ordered everything they could possibly think of, and were OCD-specific down to the last bottle of syrup. (Maple, Canadian style, no added sugar or cane sugar extractions, organic, no high fructose corn syrup.)

Finally, Percy turned to Artemis and Thalia, who gave their orders. Wearily glancing at the pad, which was half way filled with orders, he stashed it in his pocked and clapped his hands.

Instantly the table filled with food, as it had the night before. The girls ran to their places, the older girls examining everything before beginning to eat, grumbling at how easily Percy seemed to be able to get it all right.

They talked and laughed and chatted, as Percy sat listening to the little girls explain the usual schedule for the day. Artemis watched over the table proudly, like a mother would her children. She smiled occasionally, but never laughed. Once she and Percy locked eyes, but he hurriedly looked away, pretending to be distracted by Cali, who was trying to hang her spoon off her nose.

Teasingly, Percy grabbed the spoon from her.

"No silly, it's like this!" he said, demonstrating. He stuck the spoon on his nose, crossed his eyes, and stuck out his tongue, resulting in the girls dissolving into hysterics. The older girls rolled their eyes and scowled, but Thalia just laughed.

"No, no, no, Kelp Head, you forget yourself," she teased. "It's like this." Thalia took her spoon, twirled it on her finger like a basketball player, then flipped it up in the air, end over end, until it landed on her nose.

"Ta da!" she exclaimed, smirking heavily. The older girls all laughed, albeit somewhat cruelly at Percy being beaten by a girl, and the little girls clapped and squealed, delighted by the performance. Percy only smirked.

"Well, if we're going to do it that way…" he smirked, picking up his spoon again.

He loaded it with blue cereal, then used the spoon as a catapult to launch the cereal up into the air, the spoon following the cereal soon after, spiraling into the air like Thalia's had. Opening his mouth wide, Percy caught the cereal in his mouth, chewing and swallowing, before catching the spoon and twirling it around on his fingers.

He then proceeded to flick it up in the air behind him, catch it with his other hand, and roll it over his fingers onto his nose, where it stuck fast. He opened his arms with a flourish, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows at his cousin.

"Beat that, Thals." He taunted amidst the cheers from his little fans, and the glares from the rest of the table. Some of the middle girls, like Jenna, Anya, and Lydia's, expressions were starting to soften a little, their scowls lessening the slightest degree. The older girls, however, the ones who held past grudges against men more tightly, weren't as forgiving.

Thalia opened her mouth to reply when Artemis interrupted.

"As amusing as this little competition is, we have more serious matters to attend to. Last night I received orders from Lord Zeus. There is a group of Kobaloi that have sprung up in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Our satyrs were in the area and sensed a powerful presence.

We have them incorporated in the school's staff as teacher's aids and office helpers, as they are a little old for elementary school, and we have one youngling scouting out a first grade class. It is our job to get there and defeat the sprites before they reveal themselves to the mortals or injure anyone." She explained gravely.

The group nodded seriously, understanding the direness of the situation. Artemis explained to the younger girls and Percy that Kobaloi were a sort of sprite that tricked mortals and robbed them. If they were not taken care of, however, the problem could quickly escalate into something much worse.

"It is of the utmost importance that we get there as soon as possible. If we hurry, we can make it there by tomorrow, but I'm banking on encountering some monsters, so we will most likely arrive the day after next. Finish up and pack everything, we leave in 2 hours." She ordered, and immediately everyone scattered, except for Thalia and Percy.

"Why so long?" Percy asked. "Back when you saved us-" he motioned to Thalia and himself, "it took you mere minutes to set up and break camp." Artemis regarded him closely, mildly impressed that he remembered.

"This is a more permanent set up, Perseus. We have been here for a week, and expected to stay a few more days to gather supplies and whatnot. It will take longer to break then that temporary camp." Percy nodded to show his understanding. Artemis continued.

"As you have no tent to pack, you may pack up the armory. When you are finished, you may use the extra time to say goodbye to your friends in your old camp, as well as to grab any last-minute supplies you may need from your cabin." Percy opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand, cutting him off.

"You may not wish to encounter certain people, Perseus, and I understand that, but my informants tell me that your other friends, the ones you mentioned to the council, have all returned out of concern for you. At the least, they deserve an explanation. You will not be seeing them for a while, so I would take advantage of this opportunity now. I will not be so lenient in the future." She told him.

Percy thought about it and agreed, saluting Artemis before heading off to the weaponry tent.

Artemis and Thalia headed towards the other tents that had been set up in case they were needed, such as the library tent, the meeting tent (where they met and talked over their next quest), the strategy tent (used in battles), the map tent (obviously where they kept all their maps, although Percy made sure to ask, just for clarification), the laundry tent, and the wolves' tent, where they raised the pups and kept the wolves that weren't being used to guard the tent.

Percy packed the weapons and armor speedily, wrapping up the tent the way Thalia had shown him when she broke down her tent after their camp out in Colorado. (Long story.) When he had deposited it in the middle of camp, he spread his wings and took off, angling towards Camp Half-Blood. He could only hope to avoid Annabeth while he was there, and get in and out as fast as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5

Annabeth sat on her bed, fingering the ring Percy had intended to give her. She had really messed things up. Thinking about Percy, she recalled all the times he had told her he was going away for a few days, or a week. When she asked for an explanation, he had merely smiled and told her he would return as soon as he could.

As the trips grew more and more frequent, Annabeth had started to become suspicious. Where was Percy going? And why wouldn't he tell her anything? What was with all the secrecy? Wasn't he supposed to tell her everything?

Looking back on it now, Annabeth scolded herself.

You know Percy better then that. He wasn't cheating on you, you vlacas, he was building you a house! He was planning to propose! He was proving to Mom that he was worthy of you! And look what you've done. You and your pride, you ruined the best thing you ever had. And now you'll never get him back.

Annabeth put her head in her hands, letting a tear escape from under her closed lids. How could she have been so stupid? She didn't even want to go to Stanford, not really. The classes would be too easy, the information all wrong. She'd struggle to read all the English, and she'd end up being the weird nerdy girl again. She had let her suspicions make her insecure, and had let her doubts get the better of her.

In a foolish attempt to protect her pride and her emotions, she had decided to break up with Percy before she found out he was cheating on her, or before he broke up with her. She couldn't stand the humiliation either option would bring, but sitting here, knowing what she had done, knowing how wrong she was, was ten times worse.

Steeling herself, she wiped her eyes and put the ring back on her finger. She stood and left the cabin, headed towards the Big House. Maybe Chiron knew where Percy was, so she could find him and apologize. She had to make things right.

Percy POV

Percy landed atop Half-Blood hill, as he wasn't sure the magical barriers would allow him to fly into camp, and it would really not be fun to fly right into a magical force field. He had done it before, and it felt like running into a brick wall. Not fun.

Petting Peleus on the head on his way in, he took off the moment he crossed the border, bent on not letting anyone but his friends see him. They were the only reason he was here, and he was determined to get in and out as soon as possible. He had a new family now, and he wasn't about to forget that.

Percy dropped down behind his empty cabin, sneaking in through the window he had left open on the day he left. Moving quickly, he grabbed items strewn haphazardly throughout the room. Taking his shield/watch Tyson had made him and strapping it on, he felt more at ease.

After stuffing his findings and his stash of golden drachmas in a backpack, he took one last look around the room. Grabbing his stack of letters from his mom and a variety of other people, he jumped back out the window. He ran quietly behind the row of male cabins, coming to a stop behind the Hermes cabin.

Peeking in, he saw that it was empty except for three people huddled together in a corner, obviously plotting something. Smiling, Percy knocked lightly on the window, making the figures inside jump. One of them hurriedly ran towards the window, opening it and allowing Percy to climb inside.

"Percy?! Is that you?" Travis asked, surprised, before Percy clamped his hand over his mouth, cutting him off. Percy raised a finger to his lips, and Travis nodded to show his understanding. Releasing Travis, he beckoned Conner and Chris over.

"Percy! Where have you been man? You've been missing for 2 days! We were getting worried! We even called Grover back to help us find you! Frank, Hazel, Jason and Reyna haven't seen you, but they're worried too." Chris informed him. Percy sighed.

"It's a long story, and I only want to tell it once. Can you do me a favor, and gather Grover, Katie, Clarisse, Piper, Leo, Nico, and Chiron at Zeus's Fist? I'll get Rachel, Jason, Reyna, Hazel, and Frank over Iris Messaging, but I don't have very long. I have some explaining to do." He requested.

"That you do, Perce. All right, we'll do it. The rest of the cabin is at sword training anyway. Meet us at Zeus's Fist in say, ten minutes. We'll get everyone there." Conner assured him. Percy clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks guys. I'll meet you there. Oh, and don't let anyone else know I'm here. No one can know. I'm not coming back to stay, I'm just here because I owe you all an explanation. That's it. Don't get caught, don't be seen, and don't let anyone else even suspect I've come back. I'll meet you there in a few minutes." He instructed. The Stolls and Chris nodded, Conner saluting Percy jokingly. Percy smiled at them.

"Thanks guys. I owe you one." Percy hopped out the back window, waiting until the Stolls and Chris had fast-walked off before extending his wings and taking off. He flew high enough above the camp that he couldn't be spotted, then nosedived towards the clearing around Zeus's Fist.

Campers had been avoiding it since the battle, which would work in Percy's favor today. He landed and perched in a tree on the edge of the clearing and waited for everyone to show up.

Annabeth POV

"Please Chiron, you must have some idea of where he must be!" Annabeth pleaded. Chiron looked at her with sorrow filled eyes.

"I'm sorry my dear, but I have no idea of his whereabouts. The gods have merely said he is safe, and if that is all they wish to disclose, we must be satisfied with that. I'm sorry." Annabeth narrowed her eyes.

She knew he wasn't telling her something, which made her both mad and apprehensive. He had rarely held information from her, but when he did, it meant it was information she would not want to know. Sighing, she resigned herself to defeat.

"Okay, thanks Chiron. If you find anything else out, you'll tell me, right?" she looked at him, and the look in her eyes made Chiron rethink holding back information. But no, it was for her own good.

"Of course my dear. I will see you at campfire tonight." He replied. Annabeth nodded and trudged out of the Big House, rounding the corner to head back to her cabin.

Before she could get more then a few steps towards the cabins, however, she froze at the sound of pounding footsteps. Quickly pulling out her Yankee's cap, she placed it on her head and snuck back to the steps of the Big House, hiding on the porch right outside the door.

"Chiron, you have to come with me to Zeus's Fist!" she heard Conner say, panting. He must have been the person whose footsteps she heard. But why the urgency?

"Whatever is the matter my boy? This better not be another one of your pranks, or I'll be forced to take-" Chiron began, but Conner cut him off.

"No, no, no, no pranks! This is important. Percy's here, and he needs to talk to you. He asked Travis, Chris, and I to bring certain people, and he's going to explain everything. He said to make sure no one else knows though. I think it's kind of top-secret. He doesn't have long though. We need to go, now." Conner explained. Annabeth heard the clopping of hooves, meaning Chiron was shuffling his feet.

"Well then, we must waste no time. Hurry my boy, we must go. Quickly now, and discreetly." The clopping sounds came towards the door, and Annabeth quickly pressed herself against the wall just as the door was flung open. Chiron and Conner emerged, looking around quickly before running/galloping into the woods. Annabeth quickly followed.

Maybe now she'd have her chance to make things right.

Percy POV

Percy watched as his friends started trickling into the clearing. First came Katie, Clarisse, and Grover. Then Piper and Leo, who quickly struck up conversations with the others, using exaggerated hand movements to emphasize their points, joined them.

Percy could hear them discussing what they had been told, and their hopes that he was all right. Chris and Travis soon arrived with Nico, and eventually Chiron came galloping in with Conner. Percy saw a bush shaking behind them, and almost went to investigate, but was distracted by Grover, who was looking in his direction. He had smelled him, probably because of all the new blessings, and the power that came with them.

Deciding that it was time for him to greet them, Percy leapt from his branch and launched himself into the air. He swooped down into the clearing, pulling up out of his dive at the last moment and landing on his feet steadily. His friends all gasped.

"Percy!" they all cried, rushing towards him, excepting Chiron, who held back but smiled at him. Percy smiled at them all, hugging them and clapping them on the back respectively. After he greeted them all, he held up a hand to stop all their questions.

"I'll answer them all, I promise, but first things first." He explained, holding up a drachma. He waved his hand and a sheen of mist appeared. Percy threw the drachma into it.

"O Fleecy, do me a solid, show me Hazel at Camp Jupiter." Percy chanted. The mist shimmered and Hazel's image appeared. His friends all raised an eyebrow at his new chant, but didn't comment.

"Percy! Oh thank the gods, we were so worried!" Hazel's worried face greeted him.

"Hey Hazel. Great to see you. Hey, so, I don't have much time, and I have some explaining to do, so can you do me a favor and get Frank, Jason, and Reyna so I can talk to you all?" Percy requested.

"Of course. Give me two minutes." She said, before she ran out of the image. Percy conjured another screen of mist and fished out another drachma.

"O Fleecy, do me a solid, show me Rachel at Clarion's School for Ladies or Clarion Ladies Academy or…erm, at her school." Percy requested, blundering over the name of the school. A small giggle emitted from the mist at his stumble, but complied. Soon Rachel's face appeared in the mist.

She was in the hallway of her school, at her locker, talking to another girl. Her eyes widened when she saw Percy's image, and she made a quick excuse to the girl before hurrying around the corner.

"Percy!" she hissed, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!" she said accusingly. Percy looked at her, and she started at the look in his eyes.

"Percy, what-" she started, but was interrupted by Hazel's return.

She appeared back in the image dragging a confused Frank by the arm, followed by the two Praetors, all of whom called to Percy the moment they saw him.

"Percy! What happened to you?" Frank asked. Rachel snorted a little, as she was about to ask the same thing.

"Where have you been man?" Jason questioned.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Reyna informed him pointedly. Percy merely grimaced.

"I know I do, and now that you're all here, I can start. Okay, so where to begin…" Percy breathed out, releasing some of the tension.

"Why don't you start with why you left camp in the first place?" Katie prodded. Percy nodded to her, thanking her.

"Okay, so leaving camp. Well, you all know how it was Annabeth and my-" Percy began.

"Ohhh yeah! How'd the proposal go? She said yes, right? Oh that's it, isn't it? That's why you called us! Oh thank goodness! So when's the wedding?" Hazel asked, sounding relieved. Everyone but Chiron seemed to relax at this, believing it to be true for a second. Grover read Percy's emotions, then bleated at what he saw. No one else seemed to notice.

"Erm…actually…she dumped me." Percy said, breathing out. It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Finally Clarisse broke the silence.

"I'll knock some sense into the little princess for you, if it'd make you feel better." She offered. Percy managed a weak smile, but it quickly turned into a grimace. He shook his head, and Clarisse shrugged,

"Percy…I'm so sorry. I know how much you love her." Piper said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Percy looked down. Something about Piper made him break down, and he found himself telling her and the rest of his friends everything that was running through his head.

"I think the worst part…is knowing I can't stop loving her, no matter how much she hurt me. Not yet, anyway." He said, looking into Piper's eyes, his own radiating pain. Piper winced at the broken look in his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Percy cut her off.

"You know what made me finally realize that I'll never get her back?" he asked, looking into her eyes. Piper could only shake her head no.

"I had a dream last night. It was cruel, almost like it was put there to torture me on purpose. It was a re-do of that night. I proposed, she said yes, and we were so happy. I watched us grow up together, I watched as our children ran around and we were this happy couple, and, and, when I woke up, I just…Reality came back. And I knew I could never have that." He said, trembling. Piper had tears in her eyes from watching Percy, the guy she looked up to, standing in front of her, broken and in so much pain.

"I just…I didn't know what to do." He went on, the look in his eyes showing he wasn't really there, but back in his memories.

"I went home. I needed to talk to my mom. But when I got there…when I got there…I was too late." Here Percy's tears overflowed, and his friends converged around him, comforting him.

"A monster got to them, somehow. I found their bodies in the alley outside their apartment. Something killed them. And, I had nothing left, nothing, so I went to Olympus. And I asked them to kill me." He said, and his friends all gasped.

"But…Percy! How could you? What about us? We're here for you, we could have helped!" Frank insisted. Everyone else made sounds of agreement.

"Look guys, you are all great, really, but not many of you are around often. Nico, you're always in the Underworld with your dad. Rachel, you're at school, Katie's always busy around camp, Grover's always away saving the wild, the Stolls with their dad…all of you have something to do.

I was content with the idea of staying with Annabeth for the rest of my life, and she was my purpose, my reason to live. But without my family, friends, or girlfriend to keep me busy, and the camp thinking I'm some lazy poser, there was nothing left for me here. So I went to the gods. I was going to join Luke, Beckendorf, and Silena, along with my mom and Paul. I'd be happy in Elysium." Percy ranted.

His friends could hardly argue, most of them in despair over Percy's condition, and overwhelmed with the guilt of not being there for him.

"Percy…we are so sorry we weren't there for you." Nico apologized solemnly.

"You're like my big brother…I couldn't stand to lose you. But what are you going to do now? What happened?" he asked.

"Well, they couldn't kill their hero, or so they said, so instead they offered me the post of Guardian of the Hunt, which I accepted. It is my duty to protect and serve My Lady Artemis, and to protect the Hunters as well. I am immortal unless I fall in battle, and I have sworn off girls, at least for the time being.

Mainly though, I hope to find a new family, and so far, I've won over say, four of the girls? Five, if you count Thalia." Percy said, breathing out and wiping his eyes. His friends were smiling softly, happy for him, but sad that they wouldn't be seeing much of him.

"Wait, and Artemis just agreed to this?" Rachel asked from her sheen of mist, her eyebrow raised.

"That doesn't sound much like her to me." She mused. Percy shrugged.

"She's been good to me so far, so I can't argue." He defended. Jason started, like he had just thought of something.

"Hey, wait a second, so where'd you get the wings? And how did you live through the experience of using them?" he asked.

"Yeah, man, and where can I get some?" Leo asked, smiling goofily and releasing the tension a little.

Everyone else nodded, curious as to the fact as well. Percy smiled a little.

"This may take a while…okay, so while I was accepting the position of Guardian of the Hunt, most of the Olympians, excepting Hera, Demeter, and a few others, decided to give me their blessing or offered me a gift of some sort, which lead to me having all these cool new powers. I am now also the Champion of Hestia. The wings however, came from a special deity…Lord Chaos."

Here Percy paused, as he was interrupted by confused looks and a gasp. Looking around, no one knew where the sound came from, but they quickly forgot about it with Chiron's next comment.

"Why, Lord Chaos? But that's impossible; she never leaves her domain in the atmosphere. She survives on the energy from The Gap. How could she have…how is this possible?" he asked, looking shocked. Percy looked at him.

"I don't know. All I know is that she said I was her last remaining descendant, as it is in me that she sees the elements of a true hero. In order to truly carry on her legacy, she blessed me. That's were I got the wings, and a lot of other new powers. It-it's all happened so fast…" he trailed off, before shaking his head and refocusing.

"But anyway, the Hunt has…begun to accept me, and I am determined to find a new family in them. We have received a new mission, and are breaking camp as we speak. We leave in an hour. I came to say goodbye, as I will not be able to return for a while, but I had to let you all know what happened, and that I was okay. " Percy finished. His friends all looked at him solemnly, before coming forward one by one to say goodbye.

"Look Perce, we have to go, it's almost time for roll call, but just know you can call on us at any time. We'll be there for you. And feel free to drop in every once in a while. Now that you have the wings, you don't have to go through the Tiber, yeah?" Jason offered, with Reyna, Hazel, and Frank nodding encouragingly behind him.

Percy nodded his thanks and waved goodbye before Reyna swiped through the mist, dissolving the connection. Rachel was next.

"I have to go too, Percy, class is about to start…don't do anything stupid, and don't offend Artemis. You don't need any more gods on your bad side. I'll be watching out for you, but don't forget to call and check up. Feel better Perce. I'll see you around." She waved, before waving her hand through the mist as well. Percy turned to his friends in front of him.

Katie stepped forward first.

"Percy, I am so sorry. I know you have to go, but know that if you ever need anything, you can trust us. You're our friend Percy, and you can't forget that. Even if we are busy, we'll always make time for you." She hugged Percy, and he hugged her back.

"Thanks Katie. That means a lot." Percy told her. She nodded and stepped back. Travis came forward next.

"Perce, you've always been a good friend. Now it's our turn. Call us up when you need, and we'll be happy to assist you. We are allowed to teleport when we help Dad, so we can pop in whenever. Don't be a stranger, all right?" He said, clapping him on the back.

Conner nodded beside him, and shook Percy's hand, before following after Travis and Katie and leaving Zeus's fist. Chris and Clarisse came forward.

"You helped save me all those years ago, Perce. And then you saved all the demigods who had made the same mistake I did. I'll always be grateful to you for that. Don't forget about us, cuz we sure won't forget you. Come on back to visit, you hear?" he said, smiling and giving Percy a 'man-hug'. He stepped aside as Clarisse stepped forward.

"Look, Prissy. We got off on the wrong foot, and we've had our differences. But in the long run, we've both saved each other's butts enough times. Don't make me come save you because you went and did something stupid and offended another goddess. Call me up if you find a monster you need help with. Oh, and try not to die." She added, punching him on the arm before grabbing Chris's hand and walking off with him.

"I'll do my best! See ya Clarisse!" Percy called after her, shaking his head a little. Some people would never change.

Piper and Leo stepped up next.

"I'm truly sorry for all your pain Percy. But you're strong, and you'll come back from this. I can feel it. And besides, my mom promised you a happily ever after, didn't she?" Piper smiled, and Percy looked surprised. Then he smiled. A truly genuine smile. He picked Piper up and spun her around. When he set her down, she was smiling too.

"You always know what to say to cheer me up Pipes. I guess I forgot I have a family here too. I won't forget that again." He promised. Piper smiled.

"That's good. You come visit us, and you better not forget about your family here, no matter what the other campers say. You're a hero to us, Percy, and we've been through too much to lose you." She said.

Percy nodded. He and Piper had grown really close, especially when Jason had to go to Camp Jupiter to act as praetor. After one last hug, she stepped aside for Leo.

"Alright, Leo, I've got something to show you. I know you'll appreciate it." Percy said smirking. Leo bounced up and down on the balls of his toes, knowing that if Percy thought he'd like it, it would be something awesome. Percy concentrated, closing his eyes and scrunching them together.

When he reopened them, they were black with bright green flames flickering in his sockets. Leo jumped back a little, startled, but then her face broke out on his face.

"Whoa! Percy, dude, that's awesome! How'd you do that?" He asked, as Percy turned his eyes back to normal. He smirked.

"Comes with the whole Champion of Hestia thing." He replied. They smiled at each other before growing slightly more serious.

"Honestly though, Perce, come visit when you can, okay? No matter what you may think, you do have a family here. But I can see why you might need to join the Hunt. I respect that, but don't forget about us, okay? We're your family too." He said. They clapped each other on the shoulder before Piper and Leo followed after the others and left the clearing.

Chiron trotted up next.

"My boy, I am so sorry. I know how much you must hurt, and I'm glad that you have found solace in the Hunters, but you must know that you cannot run away from your problems anymore then you can run away from your fate.

That said, I wish you the best. I must be going, I have an archery class in three minutes, but do stop in from time to time? It does not do to forget your past, Percy, however much you may want to." Chiron patted Percy on the shoulder before galloping off into the woods. Only Nico and Grover were left. Nico stepped up first.

"Percy…" he trailed off, and Percy pulled him into a hug.

"Nico, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you alone again. I just…" They looked at each other, and something seemed to pass between them. Nico nodded.

"I understand. As I remember, I went a little crazy too. It's hard to lose someone you love. Especially someone you've known for so long. Trust me, I get it. But like the others said, you have a family here too. Don't forget about us, and don't doubt how much you mean to us. You're our leader Perce, and what's an army without its leader?" Nico told him. Percy nodded, a lump in his throat, and they hugged again.

"I'll see you around, right? Maybe drop by sometimes, see how they're treating you?" Nico asked. Percy smiled.

"Sure thing, Nic. I'd like that." Percy replied. Nico nodded at him once, before walking into the shadows and disappearing.

Grover stood where he was, his chin quivering slightly. Percy walked toward him.

"G-man?" he asked carefully. Grover looked up and smiled weakly.

"Hey Perce." They both sat there for a minute. Percy sighed.

"Everything was so much simpler in the good old days, wasn't it?" he asked. Grover smiled weakly.

"If I remember correctly, we almost died a lot." Grover said, smiling. Percy chuckled.

"Yes, we did. But we survived it all, didn't we, G-man?" Grover smiled.

"And look at you, Guardian of the Hunt! Oh, man, how is that? Artemis must be just…" Grover sighed. Percy chuckled again.

"Look, G-man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Percy trailed off, but Grover put a hand on his shoulder.

"I get it Perce. We all do. But hey, now that you're off with the Hunters, save some time for us, all right? Come back and visit, and let us know before hand, so we can be here when you visit. Okay? And just…be careful, all right? We don't need any more disappearance scares. Look out for yourself, okay Perce?" Grover asked. Percy clapped him on the shoulder.

"Of course G-man. Through all this, you've been my best friend, and you always will be." He smiled, and Grover smiled back.

"Go save the wild, G-man. I'll be helping you, and I'll see you soon. Okay?" Percy said, giving Grover a hug. Grover nodded, squaring his shoulders and brushing off his shirt. With one last wave, he too trotted out of sight, and Percy was alone at last.

Once he was alone, Percy sat on a nearby boulder, rubbing his head wearily. Saying good-bye had been harder for him then he thought. He had stood up to leave when he was startled out of his thoughts by a very familiar voice.

"Percy." He heard. He looked up, and his eyes locked onto…

Annabeth POV

….his gorgeous sea-green eyes. The ones I looked into now and recoiled at the pain they showed me.

"Percy, I…" I tried again, but my voice broke. He only looked at me with those eyes, those broken, shattered eyes. My own were wet with tears, and I could feel the salt drying on my face.

The tears had started when Percy was talking about his dream. His dream of us…that I had ruined. When he talked about Sally and Paul, and going to the gods for death, I saw just how deeply I had hurt him.

Throughout all the goodbyes, I had been steeling myself, preparing what I would say, how I would get him to forgive me. But now, standing here and looking into his eyes, I couldn't do it. My mouth froze, as did my brain. Finally I shook my head to clear it, and began again.

"Percy, I'm sorry. I made a mistake, I didn't understand, and I…" I trailed off as he stood up. He looked at me with such pain and anguish, it broke my heart to see the man I loved look at me that way.

"An-Annabeth." He started, sounding as if it was painful for him to get my name out. Then he shook his head.

"No. N-no, I'm sorry, but I can't. Not yet. It's too much, too early. I…I have to go." He said, shaking his head, his whole body shaking as well. He looked broken, and I was the one who caused it.

"No, please, Percy, wait-" I called, reaching for him, but I wasn't fast enough. In a flash, he had his wings out and had taken off. I stood there in shock for a moment, before crumpling to my knees.

He, he rejected me. He didn't want me. I know I deserve it, but still, it hurt so much. Was this what I did to him? Was it this painful for him to say to me, even when I'm the one who dumped him? Tears leaked out of my eyes, and before I could stop them, sobs escaped my mouth, uncontrollable.

I don't know how long I laid there, but eventually I heard shouting, and Malcolm ran up to me.

"Annabeth? Annabeth, are you all right?" he asked worriedly, shaking my shoulder. I looked at him and shook my head, and he seemed to understand. He pulled me to him, and let me cry on his shoulder as he rubbed my back. I only had two questions.

What have I done? And more importantly, Can I fix it?

Percy POV (3rd person)

Percy flew as fast as he could to get away from camp. Away from her. Tears streamed down his face, and it wasn't from the wind. He flew so fast, the ground was a blur. At one point, Percy believed he flew over the Hunt's camp, but he was so upset he didn't stop. Finally he landed in a forest, then sat at the base of a tree and cried.

He let out all of his pain and suffering, all the feelings seeing her again had provoked. He felt so weak, so helpless.

Look at me, he thought, the Hero of Olympus, sitting under a tree crying like a baby.

His heart felt like it would never heal. And being the son of Poseidon, he figured he could probably cry for all eternity and never run out of tears. Percy hadn't been sitting there for long when he sensed a presence behind him. It was Artemis.

"Percy?" she asked, and for once she sounded concerned. He brushed his eyes and turned away. She came and sat by him, but didn't say anything more.

"Is this why you became a maiden?" he asked, sniffling a little. "So that no one could hurt you this badly?"

Artemis looked at him. For some reason, he noticed she had made herself look a little older, and was not in her usual thirteen-year-old body. Instead she looked his age, and was a few inches shorter then him, from what he could tell. She looked up at him, and her eyes captured his in her gaze.

They were so much like Annabeth's, which hurt, but they were also so different. Artemis's eyes were silver, like the moon. He could see so much in her eyes, but so little at the same time. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. His concentration broke when she opened her mouth to reply. Percy blushed slightly, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so blunt. I'm just…upset." He apologized. Artemis appraised him.

"No, it's alright. It's a fair question. I suppose…that is the reason now. I made the decision to be a maiden when I was three, and it was merely a wish. There was no reason for it.

Now though, after I have seen what men can do, what they are capable of, yes, I suppose it is a way to protect myself. If I am a maiden forever, I cannot fall in love, and so I cannot be hurt in that way. That is my logic. Although sometimes, as you probably know, it does not work as well as we'd like it to." She looked at him, but he looked away.

"You don't have to be here. I know you despise men. I can see why too. Especially me. I'm just a coward. A weak, sniveling, pathetic coward." He said miserably. Artemis looked surprised.

"Whatever do you mean? You have nothing to be ashamed of!" she exclaimed, surprising herself by defending him.

"You're the Hero of Olympus! You're Chaos's descendant! You saved me from Atlas, and countless other deeds. How do you call yourself a coward? If anything, I'd expect you to be like Hercules-" she began, but stopped when Percy whipped his head towards her.

"I am nothing like Hercules," he snarled. "He is a stuck up, egoistic jerk that had no respect for anyone but himself and was as selfish as anyone could be. I would rather die then be like him." He said venomously. Artemis looked surprised.

"But I thought Hercules was the hero of all male demigods." She commented. Percy looked at her.

"Then you are sorrowfully mistaken. Hercules used to be my idol, but only because he had worse luck then I did. Now I know he deserved it. The way I see it, each of the heroes of old had something to be desired, but most of them were jerks. Instead of looking at them and wishing to be them because of one desirable trait, I look to my friends and my parents.

My heroes are my mom and Paul, for putting up with me and fighting on my side even when this wasn't their war. My heroes are my friends that sacrificed themselves against Kronos in the Battle of Manhattan. They know true sacrifice, and someday I hope to be as selfless as they are.

My friends at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter are all loyal, kind, caring, brave, strong, and true. My heroes are people who show strength in times when others would be cowering with fear. Sitting here crying over a breakup doesn't seem to be honoring that. I'm no hero. I'm just a stupid, weak male." Percy finished.

"Perseus, look at me." Artemis commanded in a stern tone. Percy complied.

"You are not weak. You are not a coward. And while you may be a little oblivious and dense, you are certainly not stupid." She said fiercely. Percy looked surprised that she was defending them, but for some reason, it gave him a warm feeling inside.

"It is the heroes of old that were weak. You are strong in trying to be different. Every hero has a point at which he must break down. You are simply at that point. It is only human.

If you are determined to be strong, then think of your friends. Think of your parents. Would they want you to be like this? Would they want you be this broken? Be strong for them, Percy. If you honor them, then you are a true hero." Artemis told him.

During her lecture Percy had stood up and was pacing back and forth. His pained expression gave way to determination. Artemis watched him, happy that he didn't look so broken, but also dumbfounded at how different he was from other males. Finally Percy nodded.

"You're right. I've been letting Annabeth get to me too much. It still hurts, but I need to be strong. I have other things to do. I have the Hunt to look after, and I have monsters to hunt." He stopped pacing and looked over towards Artemis.

"Thank you, My Lady." He said, crossing his arm over his chest and inclining his head. Artemis smiled at him, happy that he was back to normal, and Percy smiled back, a genuine smile. Percy offered his hand to Artemis, and she accepted, for perhaps the first time in her immortal life.

Walking together, in companionable, comfortable silence, they walked back to the Hunt's camp, each lost in their own thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch 6

When Percy and Artemis entered camp, they were met with an open field, a pile of packed tents, and a heated argument.

"You cannot possibly believe that! It's preposterous!" Phoebe was shouting. Thalia's face was red.

"Just because some guy betrayed you doesn't mean Percy's the same way!" she shouted back.

"What, you're going to let him fool you, Thalia? Can't you see it's all an act?" Skylar sneered from her place behind Phoebe.

"He's obviously just like every other male on this planet." She continued. None of them had noticed Percy and Artemis's presence.

"You take that back!" Ally suddenly shouted, darting forward. Skylar, Phoebe, and the rest of the Hunters drew back in surprise at the venom in her little voice.

"Percy is the nicest big brother ever! He's been nothing but good to all of us, and you have no right to say those things about him!" She challenged.

"Yeah. What did Percy ever do to you?" Alexis demanded, walking forward. Her chin jutted forward defiantly, and her eyes flashed, daring anyone to contradict her.

"He killed Zoe! That's what he did! It's his fault she's dead!" Phoebe screamed, tears forming in her eyes. The Hunters all gasped.

"That's a lie and you know it! Zoe chose her own fate! You take that back before I make you take it back!" Thalia said angrily, the air around her starting to crackle.

"Bring it, Pinecone Face," Phoebe taunted. Thalia's expression grew even angrier, if that was at all possible. Her voice turned icy.

"Only Percy can call me that. He alone has earned the right." She informed her, before raising her hands. Phoebe notched an arrow and aimed it at Thalia in response.

"ENOUGH!" Artemis bellowed. The girls in the clearing all froze in their tracks before turning towards her. Percy was standing behind her, frozen in shock at Phoebe's accusation. Artemis's expression was beyond furious.

"You should be ashamed of yourself." She told Phoebe icily. Phoebe flushed and dropped her head.

"You too, Skylar." Skylar shuffled her feet.

"Perseus has done nothing to you, yet you accuse him of such falsities? Zoe's death was not Percy's fault in the slightest. If anything, she chose death. The prophecy ordained that one would die by a parent's hand. Zoe knew it was about her, yet chose to go anyway.

Are you suggesting that Perseus should have been able to prevent the prophecy? It was Zoe's choice. And may I add that, if not for Perseus's sacrifice, I may not have escaped from Atlas. Did you remember that?

The two of you have disgraced me today. I do not want to hear anything like this ever again. Am I clear?" she demanded. Phoebe and Skylar, along with the rest of the Hunters, nodded.

"Yes Lady Artemis." They chorused, abashed. Artemis turned towards Thalia, ready to scold her for losing her temper, but something about her expression stopped her.

"What is it Thalia?" she asked, sounding slightly concerned, but still angered.

"My Lady, excuse me for a moment but…" she trailed off and walked towards Percy. He was still frozen in place, his eyes full of guilt.

Since his fall into Tartarus, Percy had become prone to certain episodes. During the episodes, Percy experienced feelings of overwhelming guilt and regret that were so strong, they reduced him to tears. Only his close friends knew about the condition, and Phoebe's accusation had triggered it.

Thalia walked up to him.

"Percy?" she asked softly. Percy didn't respond, his eyes fixed on a point above her head.

"My fault…" he whispered.

"Percy. Percy!" She shook him, growing more frantic as his eyes began to water. Finally she drew her hand back and slapped him, shocking him out of the memory.

He raised his hand to his face absentmindedly as his gaze fixed on Thalia.

"It's all my fault…" he whimpered. Thalia looked at him worriedly.

"Percy, what are you talking about?" she asked.

"I-I should have known…the bite, it was poisoned…the sky…I should have known…should have taken it sooner…I…I could have saved her…it's my fault, all my fault…" he moaned, a tear trailing down his cheek.

Thalia put her hands on his shoulders.

"Percy. Zoe's death was not your fault. Zoe made her choice. She's in the stars now. She's happy. It's time you made peace with her. You've done it before." Thalia glanced behind her to see the worried looks of the little girls, and the scorn and confusion on the faces of the older girls.

"Come on Percy, I know you're stronger then this. Snap out of it. You're scaring the kids." Thalia said, turning back to Percy and looking him in the eye.

As she was talking to him, he had stopped crying and started shaking. Thalia knew this was a good sign, as that meant the episode was almost over. Percy slowly stopped shaking, and the tears on his face dried. His eyes focused again, and he calmed his breathing.

"Come on Perce, it's alright." Thalia said, putting his arm around her and helping him up. As soon as Percy was standing, Ally rushed at him, followed by the rest of the little girls.

"Percy? Percy? Are you okay?" Ally asked, latching onto his leg.

"Percy, it's not your fault! Phoebe and Skylar are just being mean!" Cali told him, her eyes pleading.

"Yeah! It's not your fault Percy. Don't be sad!" Alexis assured him. They all looked towards Luna, who was watching Percy carefully. Noticing their stares, she shrugged.

"I think you already know it's not your fault. You're just letting your guilt eat at you. Zoe wouldn't want that. She's happy in the stars. You need to accept that, and let her be happy." She stated calmly. The Hunters and Percy all looked at her, astounded. Percy swallowed.

"Your right Luna." He said, taking a deep breath. He stood up straight, and patted the girls on the head.

"Um, sorry about that, My Lady. I'm alright now." He said, embarrassed. Artemis nodded slowly, seemingly not convinced.

"Uh-yes, alright. Um, Perseus, could you, um, take the wolves and scout ahead? Just make sure the area is clear, and send Alpha and Gamma ahead to check the path. Have Beta lead one party, while you lead the other. Report back to me when you're done. Leave three wolves behind to watch over camp." She ordered. Percy nodded.

"Of course, My Lady." He said.

Then, to the shock of the girls, he closed his eyes and began to transform. The air around him swirled, and as they watched, Percy slowly morphed into a midnight black wolf with piercing green eyes.

He nodded to Artemis before barking at the gathered pack. Within a minute, they had separated into four parties. With one last howl, Percy and the wolves bounded into the forest and were lost from view. Only three wolves remained behind – Ky, Anemone (Arianna's wolf), and Aliki (Al-eh-ky, Kate's wolf).

Artemis turned to Thalia.

"Explain." She ordered, and Thalia took a shuddering breath.

"When Percy fell into Tartarus, he changed. Something down there broke him, broke him so badly that he can't even talk about it. Nico suspects something happened to Percy that broke his peace with his ghosts." She explained.

"What does that mean?" Kiara asked.

"Well, long story short, when Percy, Nico, and I were in the Underworld one time, we ran into Melinoe-" the Hunters gasped, but Thalia plowed on.

"-and she said Percy didn't have any ghosts, as in people's whose deaths he regrets. He told her he had made peace with them, and that they weren't ghosts anyway. But after Tartarus, he started having these episodes. Annabeth said they found this cave, and it made them relive their worst nightmares. Spiders surrounded Annabeth. Percy relived every death he regretted, and he blamed himself. He's had these episodes ever since." Thalia explained morosely.

"How often do these episodes occur?" Artemis asked.

"According to Annabeth, they are not very common. He's only had two before. I was there for one, when people were ogling over the Argo II, and the Hephaestus cabin was voicing their wishes that Beckendorf could have seen it.

Harley, the youngest member of the cabin, asked who Beckendorf was, and while Nyssa explained who he was and how he died, Percy started having an episode. Annabeth was able to calm him down, and I watched.

She explained what it was and how to calm him down in case it happened when she wasn't around. They don't happen very often, because it takes a lot to trigger it. Percy's usually so strong…it's hard to see him so broken." Thalia divulged. Artemis had an unreadable expression, while the Hunters looked surprised and ashamed.

"So…when we accused him of killing Zoe…it triggered an episode? And made him think he really did kill her? Or that it was his fault she died?" Hadley asked. Thalia shook her head.

"Sort of. Percy's fatal flaw is loyalty. He blames himself for everything. So he does blame himself for Zoe's death. The episode is just him reliving the memory, and reliving all the guilt and grief he already feels, only with the feelings enhanced to the point where it's almost unbearable for him." Thalia intoned. The Hunters looked even guiltier.

"We didn't mean to make him feel that badly. We didn't know." Kate pleaded. Thalia shook her head.

"It doesn't matter what you meant to do. What's done is done. You just better thank the gods Percy is who he is, or he'd have already left." She said.

"My Lady, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to scout ahead as well…" Thalia requested.

Artemis nodded her assent. Throwing one last disgusted glare over her shoulder, Thalia slung her bow over her back and sprinted into the forest. Artemis looked after her before turning to her Hunters. They shifted their feet under her stern gaze.

"As punishment for such false accusations, those of you that made or supported the accusations will take over Perseus's duties. You will return to collecting and sharpening your own arrows, and doing your own laundry. You will learn respect. Come, children," she said, motioning to the younger girls. "It is time we left."

The younger girls grabbed their packs and gathered around Artemis, who waved at the tents and made them disappear. The other girls grabbed their stuff as well, before sprinting into the woods after their leader.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch 7

As I ran through the forest, keeping my eyes, nose, and ears alert for any sort of sound or disturbance, I thought back to the incident in the clearing. My memory was kind of foggy, foggy in a way I only faintly remembered.

I shook it off. As Ann- er, someone had once told me, sometimes it's better to move on. If your mind doesn't remember it, maybe it's for a reason.

With that thought in mind, I started thinking about how I felt now. I felt…lighter. Like a burden had been removed from my shoulders. The only thing I could bring myself to remember before Artemis gave me my mission was Zoe's smiling face, and what Luna had said.

I felt happy. Like I had let something go, let it free. It was a good feeling. I thought back to the girls in the clearing. I wasn't sure what had happened, only that they had been fighting. Fighting about me. Something about that made me mad. Beyond mad. But it also made me sad. So I chose to ignore it. My thoughts turned to my powers.

Thank Zeus he had remembered to include communication when he gave me my wish. Otherwise things could have gotten awkward. At first, the wolves had been suspicious, and Alpha had been defensive. Once I explained who I was and that I was Lady Artemis's guardian, they calmed down, and Alpha backed down and let me be the pack leader (while I was in wolf form, at least).

Communicating worked the same way as it did with Blackjack. We mainly spoke in each other's minds, as these wolves were Artemis's wolves, and so were above average intelligence. Barks and howls had multiple meanings, which you had to read into through body language. It was actually really cool how in-sync the pack was. It was as if we were one.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud 'yelp' in my head. It was coming from my westward flank, so that meant it was part of Beta's group.

Beta. Report. What's going on over there? I asked mentally.

Our eastern flank was attacked. A group of monsters. Two snake-females, a she-demon, and a little, winged two-leg with a pointy nose. He replied, his metal voice panting along with his physical body. I felt rather then heard him barking orders to the other wolves in his group.

Thinking about his descriptions, I determined that we had two dracanae, an empousa, and…I wasn't sure what the last one was, but I knew it couldn't be something good.

Galaxy was injured, but not badly. We've separated, and I've sent Wilcox and Willow around the side, while Linea and I stay in sight of the monsters. Willow and Wilcox will surprise the monsters when we need them to. We won't last long though. How far are you?

Not far. We'll be there in ten minutes. Can you hold out until then?

Yes. Send Amity and Erudite to meet up with Willow and Wilcox. They are our fastest runners. If anyone can do it, they can.

Will do. We're on our way. I replied.

I sent messages to Amity and Erudite, and they broke off from our group and ran ahead. Altering our course so we would run into Beta's group, I prayed that we would get there in time. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if we lost a wolf to monsters I'd defeated multiple times.

Pumping my legs faster, I could feel my pack behind me. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. And with a final burst, we emerged from the underbrush and skidded right in front of Beta's group, missing them narrowly. Falling into stride quickly, we kept running.

The monsters? I panted.

Five minutes back. Lost them over a pile of rocks. Caused a rockslide. Will take them a few said shortly. We were all out of breath.

And the Hunters? I asked, my muscles screaming.

4 miles back, 3 miles west. They should be out of range. He replied.

Good. Now, Willow, drop back behind the monsters. Beta, take 3 wolves and stay on my right. Dauntless, you and another 3 on my left. The rest of you, run ahead. When you hear us stop, circle back and wait for my command. I'm going to morph back. Wait for my signal. On the count of three, everyone take your positions.

One…

I felt Willow's group following the monsters, ready for my command.

Two….

Beta and Dauntless's groups split, leaving the area behind me clear.

THREE!

Skidding to a halt, Beta and Dauntless's wolves swiveled around to face where we had come from, spreading out into two lines that extended behind me diagonally. I closed my eyes and concentrated, praying to every god on Olympus that this worked.

When I opened my eyes, I was human. And clothed, thank Poseidon. I quickly drew Riptide and took up a battle stance. It wasn't long before I heard the monsters coming, trampling the undergrowth as they came. As the first dracanae emerged, she halted abruptly, causing the monsters running behind her to crash into her and lose their balance. Taking advantage of their momentary confusion, I leaped forward.

NOW! I yelled both in my mind and out loud. Slashing at the first dracanae, my sword sliced just under her shield and through a chink in her armor, causing her to disintegrate. Beta's group charged the other dracanae, surrounding her and keeping her busy.

Dauntless's group surrounded the empousa, who bared her fangs at me.

"Perseus Jackson" she hissed, smiling at me. I felt my eyes melt into flames. Her eyes widened in shock, before her expression returned to normal.

"I prefer Percy," I informed her, before lunging.

She swiped at me with her claws but missed, as she was forced to jump back when Tunstall lept at her from the side. Aniki closed in on her left, while Beka and Rosto growled from behind her. Sabine guarded my back.

I swiped at the empousa with my sword, and she managed to dodge, clawing my shoulder and ripping through the sleeve of my shirt in the process. After exchanging a series of swipes, I finally dispatched her with a slash through the heart after Rosto bit her ankle, distracting her. Turning, I saw Beta, Kora, Linea, and Erksen had dealt with the other dracanae.

I looked around for the last monster, which was nowhere in sight. Looking around carefully, I motioned for the pack to stay quiet.

Beta, status report on the Hunters. I mentally requested, still looking around for the last monster.

Two miles back, one mile west. They're getting closer. He replied. I thought for a moment before replying.

Willow, Erksen, Linea, and Kora, head back to warn them of the monsters, and bring them to this clearing. Rosto, Beka, Tunstall, Aniki, Sabine, go with them. Protect them until they get here.

Amity, Erudite, Dauntless, stay hidden and attack if any more monsters show up. The rest of you, scatter and guard this clearing.

Galaxy, wait out in the open so the Hunters find you when they get here. The rest of you guard him…wait a second…where are Alpha and Gamma in all of this?

Alpha, report.

Silence.

Alpha?

Alpha?

Gamma?

Gamma, are you there?

Nothing.

I don't know what happened to them…but we better keep our guard up. We'll watch for them on the path ahead. No one leave your position. I'm going to-

I was interrupted by a shrill cackle behind me. Whipping around, I came face to face with a…fairy? No, not a fairy.

This creature was completely green. It was short and stumpy, with an upturned nose like an elf. It had a little hat thing, and was dressed in leaves. It had green wings that were beating as fast as a hummingbird. It didn't look very threatening, which probably meant it was the most deadly of the group.

I inched towards it, slowly raising my sword, as it appraised me. Right before I could swing my sword down and cleave the thing in two, it darted away. Cursing, I stumbled after it.

I chased the blasted thing for who knows how long, slicing and weaving, dodging and swatting at it when it flew near my head. Never once did it go on the offence. That is, until we reached the edge of the forest. Once I stumbled out of the tree line, I finally was able to focus on the thing again.

Then it started to morph. It got fatter, like it had swallowed a balloon that was blowing up with air from inside his stomach. His green skin began to grow boils, and when he smiled, fangs glinted in his mouth. Claws extended from his fingertips, and his eyes narrowed.

I'll admit, I freaked out a little bit. I lunged for the thing, slicing through its head and all the way through it's body, causing it to disintegrate into a little pile of dust. I didn't have long to revel in my victory, however, because my momentum sent me plunging down the hill.

I rolled head over heels, tumbling down, crashing through the underbrush. Branches whipped and stung my face, though I knew they left no visible mark. I somehow managed to keep from stabbing myself with Riptide as I careened down the hill. My descent was brought to an abrupt end as my head slammed full force into a rock.

My last thought was 'Artemis is going to kill me…' before my vision went black.


End file.
